Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo does not use cotton from the Xinjiang region of China in its products, said the company’s boss. In a first, Fast Retailing’s chief executive Tadashi Yanai directly addressed the disputable issue, after allegations of human rights violations in the supply chain and concerns over forced labour in Xinjiang. China is both the largest producer and consumer for Uniqlo.
Companies that source clothing, cotton and other goods from Xinjiang have faced mounting pressure from Western consumers due to allegations of genocide against Uyghur and Hui Muslim minorities under the Xi Jinping administration over the past decade. Earlier, brands such as H&M, Nike, Burberry were boycotted for the same.
Yanai said that Uniqlo wasn’t using cotton from Xinjiang, but also hesitated to name its actual source as it might lead to a political debate. A US federal report released in 2022 estimated that cotton from Xinjiang made up approximately 87 per cent of China’s production and 23 per cent of the global supply in 2020 and 2021.
China is Uniqlo’s largest manufacturing hub, and the company also produces clothing in countries such as Vietnam, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and India.
