Crackdown on Forced Labor by Chinese Communist Party, British MPs call for Strengthened Supply Chain Oversight

British lawmakers stated in a report on Monday (March 3) that the UK must strengthen measures to prevent and eliminate forced labor in supply chains to avoid the UK becoming a dumping ground for illicit products from other markets.

Members of the cross-party Business and Trade Committee urged authorities to update the UK’s Modern Slavery Act, imposing penalties on companies that fail to publish modern slavery statements and considering forced labor in the supply chain as a criminal offense.

The UK’s Modern Slavery Act, enacted in 2015, is a law aimed at combating human trafficking, forced labor, and labor exploitation set by the UK government to protect victims and enhance oversight of corporate supply chains. Initially considered one of the most influential anti-slavery laws globally, the law has led many countries to follow suit.

However, despite the requirement for companies to submit supply chain statements, the law lacks mandatory penalties, leading to concerns about insufficient enforcement.

Lawmakers stated in the report that “if the UK does not keep pace with global partners in legislative reform to combat modern slavery, it will face a serious risk of becoming a dumping ground for forced labor products.”

Currently, the United States passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in 2021, prohibiting products made from forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region from entering the market. The EU’s forced labor regulations will come into effect in December 2027.

The US has already enacted laws prohibiting products made from forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region, and the EU’s forced labor regulations will also take effect in December 2027.

The US government and various non-governmental organizations have accused the Chinese Communist Party of engaging in forced labor and human rights violations against the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang, a claim Beijing denies.

During the investigation, British lawmakers interviewed Chinese fast-fashion brand Shein and e-commerce platform Temu, both of which are planning to enter the UK market but have been accused of potentially using cotton from Xinjiang in their products.

In January this year, Yinan Zhu, the Chief Legal Officer for Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) at Shein, avoided discussing the source of cotton in the company’s products during questioning in the UK Parliament.

The report viewed Zhu’s refusal to answer as “extremely concerning.”

Shein currently sells products in 150 markets globally and claims to have a “zero-tolerance policy” towards forced labor. Temu similarly asserts that its supply chain strictly prohibits forced labor.