The US Department of Homeland Security has expanded enforcement under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act to ban imports of goods made with forced labor. While the initial focus was on sectors such as solar products, tomatoes, cotton, and apparel, this new action emphasizes the risk of forced labor in the Chinese manufacturing supply chain. This development raises concerns over the ethical practices of Chinese apparel factories, which may be at risk of being implicated in forced labor abuses.

A Politico report details allegations that some Chinese apparel factories, which form part of broader supply chains servicing fast fashion brands, are implicated in forced labor practices involving Uyghur workers. The article highlights third‐party testing of cotton sourcing from regions such as Xinjiang, raising serious human rights and supply chain ethics concerns.

An undercover investigation revealed that workers in Chinese apparel factories supplying Shein endure 18-hour workdays with no weekends, extremely low wages, and withheld pay, highlighting severe labor exploitation.