Apple reportedly imported clothes from Chinese company accused of forced labor

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Apple Paris
Apple staffers' uniforms may have been partly manufactured by an accused company.
Photo: Apple

A Chinese company facing U.S. sanctions for using forced labor provided clothing or raw materials to Apple, possibly in the form of uniforms for its retail employees, claims The Guardian.

Changji Esquel Textile is one of a group of 11 companies that reportedly violated human rights in China’s western Xinjiang region. The company denies using forced labor “anywhere” in its business and says it will appeal its inclusion on the sanctions list.

One month before sanctions were imposed, Changji Esquel Textile sent a shipment of women’s cotton and elastane knit shirts to Apple retail stores in California, a shipping database reveals.

The United States imposed the sanctions to stop the Chinese companies from buying technology and other goods made by U.S. companies. According to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, this is intended to stop “the Chinese Communist Party’s despicable offensive against defenseless Muslim minority populations.”

Apple struck a deal with Changji Esquel Textile in 2014 for the Chinese company to produce sustainable clothes for Cupertino using 100 metric tons of recycled cotton waste. That same year, Changji Esquel Textile shipped upward of 50,000 units to logistics company Arvato Digital Services, which works with Apple. The Guardian‘s report, published Monday, says Apple was listed on shipping records as the “contact party.”

In a statement, Apple said: “Esquel is not a direct supplier to Apple but our suppliers do use cotton from their facilities in Guangzhou and Vietnam. We have confirmed no Apple supplier sources cotton from Xinjiang and there are no plans for future sourcing of cotton from the region.”

China and forced labor

Apple worked hard to clean up its supply chain in recent years, but challenges remain. Last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook told Congress that Apple does not allow forced labor or modern slavery in its supply chains. “We wouldn’t tolerate it,” Cook said. “We would terminate a supplier relationship if it was found.” Cook also said he would support legislation to ban forced labor.

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