On June 16, a reporter from the Global Times recently learned from an informed source that U.S. Customs had recently seized some products produced by Skechers in China and shipped to the United States in accordance with the so-called “Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.”
The above-mentioned unnamed insider told the Global Times reporter that the reason why U.S. Customs seized Skechers products is that these products are produced by Dongguan Oasis Shoes Co., Ltd., and Oasis Shoes employs Uyghur employees.
Since the products were seized, Skechers commissioned relevant partners to conduct an independent investigation into its product supply chain in China to verify whether Oasis Shoes is involved in “forced labor” in Xinjiang.
People familiar with the matter told the Global Times reporter that the relevant partners have recently submitted a final report to Skechers after a detailed investigation, confirming that “there is no evidence that Oasis Shoes and other companies in Dongguan employ employees from Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities.” Racial discrimination against ethnic minority employees” and “there is no evidence that Xinjiang employees are prohibited from returning to Xinjiang.”
It is reported that Skechers plans to complain to the US Customs based on the above-mentioned investigation report, requesting the US Customs to remove Oasis Shoes from the blacklist and release Skechers’ products at the same time.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs responds to the bill
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian responded to the so-called “Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act” at the beginning of this month, criticizing the bill for ignoring facts, maliciously slandering the human rights situation in China’s Xinjiang, grossly interfering in China’s internal affairs, seriously violating international law and basic norms of international relations, and violating Market rules and business ethics, China firmly opposes this.
Zhu Ying, a professor at the Baizhang Institute of Strategic Studies at Southwest University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times reporter that the so-called “Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act” has nothing to do with human rights. U.S. politicians are trying to use this to hijack the interests of American companies in free trade and force them to submit to the United States. “This is a desecration of true democracy, human rights and free trade.”
The impact of the bill on the industrial chain of my country’s cotton textile industry
Relevant agencies believe that the U.S. authorities are expected to take effect on June 21 with the “Prevention of Forced Uyghur Labor Act” and will implement an import ban on goods from China’s Xinjiang region in accordance with the bill. The signing of the bill will give my country’s cotton textile industry chain The impact is mainly reflected in:
U.S. Customs has inspected products involving China’s Xinjiang cotton. Picture from U.S. media
It will have a great impact on the export of Xinjiang cotton, further hitting Xinjiang cotton consumption, leading to a reduction in the use of Xinjiang cotton, and the risk of being separated from the international industrial chain, affecting the development of my country’s cotton textile industry chain. Recently, there has been feedback from textile companies that U.S. end customers have made it clear that starting from June 22, the products they purchase must undergo genetic testing by U.S. Customs. Once it is found that the cotton used in the product comes from Xinjiang, China, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, they will be on the spot. destroy.
According to feedback from companies, some major clothing brands in the United States may no longer place orders from China in the future. Some brands in Europe and Japan have stopped or reduced the use of Xinjiang cotton.
Although the United States is suppressing my country’s textile industry, my country’s foreign trade “circle of friends” continues to expand. Our country is also actively exploring emerging markets such as ASEAN, Africa, and Latin America. Among them, the proportion of trade with countries along the “Belt and Road” in my country’s total foreign trade value has increased from 25% in 2013 to 29.7% in 2021.
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