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☆ Shein made $2 billion in profits last year. That's a lot of fast fashion.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

That beats the fiscal year of rival fast fashion company H&M. AdvertisementIt appears we consumed quite a bit of fast fashion last year. AdvertisementFor a generation of shoppers who say they like to be environmentally conscious, that's a lot of fast fashion — an industry that relies on cheap labor but comes with a heavy environmental cost. Still, it was a recognition from the fast fashion giant that it knows who its audience is and what they care about. But for now, it's onward and upward for fast fashion.

Persons: Zers, millennials, —, Barron's, It's, Shein, Janus, Jadrian Wooten Organizations: Service, Financial Times, United Nations Environment, New, Virginia Tech, Sheffield Hallam University, & $ Locations: Zara, England, Guangzhou, China

☆ TikTok sleuths have been obsessing over the case of Nancy Ng, a woman who vanished during a yoga retreat — and it's revealed an ugly truth
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Lindsay Dodgson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In his first video, he addressed some "really shady" circumstances around Ng's case, including some comments by Chris Sharpe, the leader of the search-and-rescue team hired by Ng's family. Advertisement"Our desensitization to true crime, due to our constant consumption of media, means it's almost a challenge or a game to solve these puzzles," she said. The dark realityThough armchair sleuths can have their benefits, a lot of information shared about true crime can be misinformed, insensitive, or exaggerated. For example, in October, a man named Lawrence Crook begged TikTokers to stop making true crime content about his mom's murder. "What is interesting about the case of Nancy Ng is that this is a woman of Asian descent," she said.

Persons: Nancy Ng, isn't, TikTok, —, Ng, TikTokers, Ed Choi, Chris Sharpe, Ng's, Sharpe, Choi, Christina Blazek, influencer Gabby Petito, Kendal Stoneystreet, Stoneystreet, Madeline McCann, Jack, David Wilson, Lawrence Crook, Odessa Carey, Crook's, Crook, Nancy Ng's, Gabby Petito's, Lauren Smith, Kourtney Nichole, GabbyPetito, TikToker, Arigato Grande Organizations: Service, Authorities, Independent, ABC7, Sheffield Hallam University, Guatemalan Locations: Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, Southern California

☆ Exclusive: US Customs finds garments made with banned Chinese cotton
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Katherine Masters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

It requires cutting out the far western region from apparel supply chains. Ten of the 37 garments collected by Customs and Border Protection in May returned as “consistent” with Xinjiang, the documents show. "The amount of Xinjiang cotton entering the U.S. should be zero," she said. Many retailers have also turned to isotopic testing in a bid to keep their supply chain free of cotton with links to forced labor. Officials said isotopic testing alone is not enough to clear shipments detained at U.S. ports for suspected links to Xinjiang.

Persons: Mickey, Laura Murphy, Eric Choy, Ralph Lauren, Oritain, Choy, “ It’s, ”, Katherine Masters, David Gregorio Our Organizations: U.S . Customs, Protection, Reuters, Customs, Sheffield Hallam University, . Customs, Goods, Retail, Oritain, Thomson Locations: Xinjiang, China, England, U.S, Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangladesh, India, New Zealand

☆ EV battery imports face scrutiny under US law on Chinese forced labor
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Nichola Groom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

More than a year of enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) has already stymied development of solar energy projects as detained panel shipments languish in U.S. warehouses. When shipments are detained, CBP provides the importer with a list of examples of products from previous reviews and the kind of documentation required to prove they are not made with forced labor, CBP told Reuters. "The timing of these changes does not reflect any specific changes in strategy or operations," a CBP spokesperson said in a statement, adding that the list of eight product types was "not exhaustive." In a report to Congress last month on UFLPA enforcement, CBP listed lithium-ion batteries, tires, "and other automobile components" among the "potential risk areas" it was monitoring. The stepped-up focus on automakers follows a study by Britain's Sheffield Hallam University published in December that said nearly every major automaker has exposure to products made with forced labor in Xinjiang.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Mark Schiefelbein, Dan Solomon, Chevalier, Solomon, Britain's, Ron Wyden, Wyden, we've, Tesla, Brandon Daniels, Nichola Groom, David Shepardson, Jan Schwartz, Daniel Leussink, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Reuters, U.S . Customs, Border Protection, Beijing, Uyghur, Labor, U.S . Solar Energy Industries Association, Biden, CBP, Miller, Britain's Sheffield Hallam University, U.S, Senate, Benz, Volkswagen, Friedrichshafen AG, Bosch, General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Continental AG, Thomson Locations: United States, Diaoyutai, Beijing, China, Xinjiang, U.S, Detroit, UFLPA, Los Angeles, Washington, Hamburg, Tokyo

☆ The disappearance of the Titan submersible won't stop the super-rich from embarking on 'extreme' travel, an adventure tourism expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Chris Johnston | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Some wealthy people now may have "second thoughts" about going on adventure tourism, a lecturer said. Trips to the deep sea, space or remote parts of the planet offered "bragging rights," she said. The possible loss of the Titan submersible will not dampen demand for "extreme" tourism where a rescue is unlikely or even impossible, an academic told Insider. Hamish Harding, one of the people on the missing sub, also went to space with Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin last year. Space tourism "may or may not" become viable and affordable to more than just the very wealthy in our lifetimes, the academic said, but the rise of "last chance" tourism would continue.

Persons: Adele Doran of, Adele Doran, Mariana Trench's, it'll, Hamish Harding, Jeff Bezos, Doran, " Doran Organizations: Adele Doran of Sheffield Hallam University, Morning, Titan, Sheffield Hallam University, EYOS Expeditions, Mariana, Virgin Galactic Locations: England, South America

☆ Gen Z likes shopping in stores just as much as they do online, survey finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Gen Z are a tech-savvy generation but they like shopping in physical stores just as much as online. A new survey found that Gen Z like being able to see, touch and try a product before buying it. A new report by the International Council of Shopping Centers surveyed 1,008 people aged 16 to 26 about their shopping habits and preferences. It found that although 95% of Gen Z like shopping online, just as many (97%) also enjoy going to the mall. Gen Z are voracious shoppers with social media encouraging young people to buy new clothes regularly.

Persons: —, Gen, Gen Z, it's Organizations: Service, International Council of Shopping Centers, Maxx, Walmart, Marshalls, Target, Social, Sheffield Hallam University Locations: Zara, England

☆ Gen Z Fast Fashion, Live Shopping, Clothes Addiction Destroying Planet
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Eve Upton-Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

The Gen Z paradoxGen Z's economic power is growing faster than other generations, according to Bank of America. In the US, fashion is the preferred category for entertainment spending among Gen Z, outranking dining out, video games, and music. A 2021 McKinsey survey found that 42% of American Gen Zers said they didn't even know what makes clothes sustainable. In addition to pushing people to buy more clothes, the buy-now, think-later model of live shopping also encourages people to buy clothes that are worse for the planet. To solve that problem, she founded Viviene New York in 2022, a Gen Z-led marketing agency that helps sustainable brands connect with Gen Z audiences through social media.

☆ Trudeau: Canadian lithium costs more because it doesn't use slave labor
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Doina Chiacu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, April 28 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday linked the production of lithium in China with "slave labor" as he discussed his country's efforts to ramp up production of the metal used in electric vehicle and other batteries. Canada has significant sources of lithium, Trudeau said, but, he added, China has made strategic choices over the decades that have made it by far the world's largest producer. Because we don't use slave labor," Trudeau said in remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. REUTERS/Blair GableThe United States has alleged use of forced labor by China in sectors including mining and construction. Last year, a U.S. law took effect banning imports from China's Xinjiang region over concerns about forced labor.

☆ Trudeau points to 'slave labor' in China lithium production
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Doina Chiacu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, April 28 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday linked the production of lithium in China to "slave labor" as he discussed his own country's efforts to ramp up production of the metal used in electric vehicle and other batteries. Canada has significant sources of lithium, Trudeau said, but China has made strategic choices over the decades that have made it by far the world's largest producer. Because we don't use slave labor," Trudeau said in remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. The United States has alleged use of forced labor by China in sectors including mining and construction. China denies abuses in Xinjiang, a major cotton producer that also supplies much of the world's materials for solar panels.

☆ Volkswagen sees no sign of forced labor at its plant in Xinjiang
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Volkswagen faced a barrage of criticism from campaigners Tuesday after the head of its Chinese business said he saw no sign of forced labor during a visit to the carmaker’s plant in Xinjiang. Activists and an international group of lawmakers said verifying labor standards in the region was impossible. Rights groups have documented human rights abuses in Xinjiang since the 2000s, including mass forced labor in detention camps which the United Nations said could constitute crimes against humanity. Brandstaetter said he saw no signs of forced labor and that workers’ comments matched the reports Volkswagen had received from SAIC about the plant. Reputational riskVolkswagen says it has never found evidence of forced labor among its Xinjiang workforce and its presence is positive for the local population.

☆ U.S. Forced Labor Crackdown Is Tough, But Opaque
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Richard Vanderford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

The U.S. has mounted an aggressive crackdown on imports over concerns about Chinese forced labor, but the campaign is an opaque one, with little detailed data on which companies or sectors are being targeted. January alone saw 282 shipments stopped over forced labor concerns, according to Customs data. Luis C.deBaca helped lead the U.S. fight against forced labor in the Obama administration and now teaches law at the University of Michigan. Photo: Luis C.deBacaChina has rejected allegations that it uses forced labor in Xinjiang. The agency added that it is “committed to transparency” and is developing an interactive web-based tool to provide forced labor enforcement statistics.

☆ U.S. Senate Finance Committee asks GM, Tesla, Toyota about Chinese supply chain
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Finance Committee asked eight major automakers, including General Motors (GM.N), Tesla (TSLA.O), Ford Motor (F.N), and Honda Motor (7267.T), to answer questions about their Chinese supply chains, according to letters made public on Thursday. Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden wrote the chief executives of major automakers inquiring about Chinese supply chain issues, saying "it is vital that automakers scrutinize their relationships with all suppliers linked to Xinjiang." Beijing denies abuses in Xinjiang, but says it had established "vocational training centers" to curb terrorism, separatism and religious radicalism. "Between raw materials mining/processing and auto parts manufacturing, we found that practically every part of the car would require heightened scrutiny to ensure that it was free of Uyghur forced labor," the report said. GM said Thursday it actively monitors its global supply chain and "conducts extensive due diligence, particularly where we identify or are made aware of potential violations of the law, our agreements, or our policies."

☆ Tesla, Mercedes, and GM are being probed by US Senate on whether they use forced Uyghur labor
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Senate Finance Committee sent letters to car makers about their links to forced Uyghur labor. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act bans most imports from the Xinjiang region. The letters also come a year after President Joe Biden signed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which seeks to ban most imports from the Xinjiang region. A Honda spokesperson told Insider that it expects its suppliers to comply with its global sustainability guidelines and "will work with policymakers on these important issues." Volkswagen, Honda, General Motors, and Stellantis previously told Insider that they reject forced labor in their supply chains and take accusations of abuse seriously.

☆ Tesla, GM, Ford questioned by U.S. senator about Chinese supply chains and connections to forced labor
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Wyden referenced the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law last year and took effect in June. The bill says imports from China's Xinjiang region should not be allowed into the country unless the importer can convincingly show the products weren't made with forced labor. The agency said there are up to 1,200 "state-run internment camps" in Xinjiang where forced labor is being used. "Building strong responsible supply chains is an important focus for us," the spokesperson said in a statement. "I recognize automobiles contain numerous parts sourced across the world and are subject to complex supply chains," Wyden wrote.

☆ Major car companies like Ford, Tesla, and Toyota are at 'high risk' of sourcing parts made by Chinese forced labor, a report finds: 'It's an industry-wide problem'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A new report found "massive and expanding" links between major car companies and China's Xinjiang region. A year ago, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act was signed into law, which banned US imports of products made wholly or partly in the Xinjiang region, unless the company could prove they were not using forced labor. "It is not impossible to audit one's supply chain to identify risks"The auto industry's supply chains are "closer to a ball of spaghetti than a linear chain," Simon Croom, professor of supply chain management at the University of San Diego, told Insider. The average automaker may have links to as many as 18,000 suppliers, including their direct suppliers, the suppliers of those suppliers, and so on. Per Croom, while many companies claim to lack full insight into their supply chains, "it is not impossible to audit one's supply chain to identify risks."

☆ Tesla, Volkswagen, and GM might be using metal from factories linked to forced Uyghur labor, researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Major car makers are at high risk for exposure to forced Uyghur labor, according to new research. The alleged use of forced labor could disrupt efforts to ethically decarbonize the global supply chain. Other industries, like solar panel manufacturers, have recently been revealed to have similar ties to Uyghur labor. "We reject forced labor and all forms of modern slavery including human trafficking," said Volkswagen. A Honda spokesperson told Insider that it "expects our suppliers to follow our Global Sustainability Guidelines with respect to labor."

☆ UAW calls on automakers to move supply chain out of Xinjiang region
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Police officers patrol in the old city in Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China, May 4, 2021. REUTERS/Thomas PeterWASHINGTON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - The United Auto Workers (UAW) union called on automakers to shift their entire supply chain out of China's Xinjiang region after a new report on Tuesday suggests that nearly every major automaker has significant exposure to products made with forced labor. "The time is now for the auto industry to establish high-road supply chain models outside the Uyghur Region that protect labor and human rights and the environment," said UAW President Ray Curry. "In some cases, Uyghur forced labor is apparent at multiple steps" of parts manufacturing, mining, refining, pre-fabrication and assembly, it added. Curry called on the U.S. government to "devote the necessary resources to allow Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to effectively identify and ban the importation of products made with forced labor."

☆ EU Looks to Follow Tough U.S. Action on Forced Labor
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Richard Vanderford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

Beijing has called allegations about the use of forced labor “vicious lies” and said its policies in Xinjiang are intended to counter violent separatism and terrorism. African mining operations, for example, have been implicated in the use of forced labor. Under the proposal, EU member states will designate authorities to enforce the regulation, and their customs authorities will enforce it at the EU’s borders. Goods made without forced labor are going to the U.S., while goods made with forced labor are shipped to the EU, the researchers said. Uniqlo has said it performs due diligence throughout its supply chain and prohibits the use of forced labor.

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