The US fashion industry continues to develop a joint approach with the US government to focus on high-risk trade from Uyghur forced labour without stopping legitimate trade.
The United States Fashion Industry Association (USFIA) president Julia Hughes said the US hearing on the enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) was a positive step towards improving the understanding about UFLPA enforcement strategies and how the private sector is a partner in those efforts.
She added that she appreciates the Subcommittee, and the US Congress wants to ensure the enforcement of the UFLPA is targeted and effective and fashion brands and retailers are also committed to ensuring forced labour is eliminated from the supply chain.
She stated: “We will continue to work with Congress, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Labor, US Customs and Border Protection, an the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force to improve transparency, improve targeting, and develop a joint approach with the fashion industry to focus on high-risk trade without stopping legitimate trade.”
American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA)’s SVP Nate Herman added: “Our members have a zero tolerance for forced labour and will continue to make every effort to mitigate, root out, eliminate, and prevent forced labour in their supply chains.”
He explained AAFA’s members are continuously strengthening the measures they take to identify and eliminate forced labour from their supply chains with AAFA brands implementing traceability, new technologies, and other tools to ensure that there is no forced labour in their supply chains.
US fashion sector’s concerns over incorrectly detained apparel shipments
But, he noted one concern is that more than 37% of the adjudicated apparel and textile shipments that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detained since the inception of UFLPA were ultimately determined to have no nexus with Xinjiang or any forced labour.