Shein lawyer refuses to say whether it uses Chinese cotton

A senior lawyer representing Sheen has repeatedly refused to say whether the company sells products containing cotton from China, leading one MP to brand his evidence as “ridiculous”.

Yinan Zhu, general counsel of the fast-fashion giant, confirmed that its suppliers manufactured products in the country, but declined to say whether they used Chinese cotton.

Companies that buy clothing, cotton and other products, especially from the Xinjiang region in China’s northwest, have come under pressure. Following allegations of forced labor and human rights abuses,

Ms Zhu’s refusal to answer questions drew a sharp reaction from a committee of MPs, who accused her of “willful ignorance”.

Shein has grown rapidly since its founding in 2008, and saw its business boom during the pandemic.

Its rapid growth has meant the company has grown from a little-known brand to one of the largest fast fashion retailers globally, offering shipping to customers in 150 countries.

But the company, which was founded in China but is now headquartered in Singapore, has come under criticism over its environmental impact and working practices, including allegations Forced labor in supply chains. Sheen has denied this.

China has been accused of subjecting members of the Uyghur, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority, to forced labour. Research seen by the BBC in December 2020 showed that Half a million people were being forced to pick cotton in Xinjiang, But Beijing has denied any rights violations.

The allegations have led some major fashion brands, including H&M, Nike, Burberry and Adidas, to remove products using Xinjiang cotton, leading to a backlash in China and boycotts of the companies.

On Tuesday, lawmakers on the Business and Trade Committee repeatedly challenged Ms. Zhu on whether Shein products contained Chinese cotton, and specifically cotton from Xinjiang.

Ms. Zhu declined to answer and asked if she could write to the committee after the hearing.

He The company has no factories or manufacturing facilities, but works with a large network of suppliers, mostly in China, but also in Turkey and Brazil, it told lawmakers.

He added that Sheen complies with “the laws and regulations of the countries in which we operate.”

Ms Zhu said its suppliers were required to sign up to strong standards and third-party agencies conducted thousands of audits.

Challenged on whether the company specifically bars its suppliers from sourcing cotton from Xinjiang as part of its conditions checklist, he said: “I have to ask permission to write back on this. “

The hearing came after the BBC reported on the company Filed initial paperwork to list shares on the London Stock Exchange, Which could cost £50bn.

Ms. Zhu declined to respond to the probable list.

Charlie Maynard, the Liberal Democrat MP on the committee, attacked Ms Zhu’s comments and accused her of “willful ignorance”.

“I’m on your website and I can see about 20 products that are all made from cotton… and yet you tell our president that you can’t tell if Shein is selling any products that are made in China “What is cotton made of? I find it completely ridiculous,” he said.

“You mention every other point on the compass, but you don’t mention West China, you don’t mention Xinjiang at all. This is willful ignorance.”

Ms Zhu responded by saying she was “doing my best”, and “responding to the best of my ability”, prompting Maynard to respond: “That’s simply not true.”

Liam Byrne, the committee chairman, fumed that for a company that sells £1bn worth of goods to consumers and is looking to list in the UK, the committee was “deeply appalled by the lack of evidence”, Ms Zhu said be provided.

“You can’t tell us anything about the listing, you can’t tell us anything about the cotton in Shein products, and really you can’t tell us much else.”

Mr Byrne said Mr Zhu’s reluctance to answer basic questions “bordered on contempt for the committee”.

In contrast, fellow fast-fashion retailer Temu told the committee it did not allow sellers from the Xinjiang region to sell products on the platform.

Stephen Heery, senior legal counsel at TEMU, said: “Any issue of labor practices is something we take fundamentally very seriously.”

Byrne said the company has provided “some assurances” on its supplier agreements.