US Senators introduce supply chain slavery Bill

WASHINGTON – US Senators Josh Hawley and Kirsten Gillibrand have introduced a bill that would require large businesses to undergo audits to prove they are not using forced labour in their supply chains. Those that fail to comply will face penalties as the US authorities put the squeeze on multi-nationals with potential links to forced labour and which lack effective due diligence to weed it out. While the Senators do not mention China specifically, the proposed measures are clearly a response to allegations of forced labour and concentration camps in its Xinjiang region and how US businesses – many from the fashion sector – have benefited from this labour in their textile and cotton supply chains.