Retail, Apparel Groups Urge Creating Working Group to Eradicate Forced Labor

The retail, fashion, footwear and apparel industries represent “thousands of brands,” and ridding their Chinese supply chains of forced labor is “a key priority,” said five trade associations Thursday. After President Donald Trump signed the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act June 17, “we want to reiterate our continued focus on identifying and eradicating forced labor,” said the American Apparel & Footwear Association, Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America, the National Retail Federation, the Retail Industry Leaders Association and the U.S. Fashion Industry Association. “A successful solution for all involved, above all the workers themselves, will require state-to-state engagement and collaborative partnerships across government, industry, labor advocacy groups, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders,” they said. They urged the Trump administration to immediately establish a “multi-stakeholder working group” to deploy “a collective approach that accurately assesses the problem” and identifies “constructive solutions.” The White House didn’t comment.