Almost 19% of tested goods contain Xinjiang cotton despite US ban

A new study reveals challenges in enforcing a US law banning cotton linked to forced labor in China's Xinjiang region. Researchers tested merchandise from major retailers and found traces of Xinjiang cotton in 19 per cent of samples. This, despite a 2021 US law introduced to block such imports.

Xinjiang is a major cotton producer, supplying much of the world's cotton for clothes and solar panels. The US government accuses China of human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims there, including genocide. China denies these accusations.

The complex global supply chain makes enforcement difficult. Countries like Vietnam and Bangladesh import finished fabric from China, which can then end up in US clothing.

The study highlights this challenge. Over half the items testing positive for Xinjiang cotton had labels claiming US-only origins, and two-thirds had blended Xinjiang cotton with materials from other regions.

This raises concerns about the effectiveness of the law and the difficulty of ensuring ethical cotton sourcing.