Slaves to fashion

Governments in the United States and other countries are stepping up supply chain scrutiny and applying sanctions in response to China’s use of Uyghurs as forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Recent products blocked by the U.S. because they were made in Xinjiang with suspected forced labor include polysilicon for solar panels, hair products, electronics, tomatoes, cotton and other textiles. Pledges to avoid forced labor by major foreign brands have sparked a backlash against them by the Chinese media, which have appealed to consumers and domestic firms to buy Xinjiang cotton.