Chinese fast-fashion retailer Shein found the use of child labor within its supply chain, revealing two instances of suppliers employing kids under 16 last year.
The labor violations were included in the company’s 2023 Sustainability Report, which was published Thursday.
The findings come as Shein — set to begin selling stock shares after filing for its initial public offering in London in June — battles criticism over its low-cost business model and factory conditions.
Known for its cheap, trendy clothing, the global giant valued at $66 billion has since ramped up audits of its manufacturers in China, according to reports.
Shein’s report did not detail where the children were being used but said orders were suspended from those suppliers, which were only used again once they “strengthened their processes for screening new hires.”
Both cases were “resolved swiftly,” the company added.
“Following appropriate remediation, the contract manufacturers were permitted to resume business,” the report stated.
The company said it has since cracked down on its supplier policies. Any child labor or forced labor violations are grounds for immediate termination of contracts, under its new rules.
Shein did not previously report the exact number of child labor cases, only the percentage of audits that found minors in the workplace — 1.8% in 2021, 0.3% in 2022 and 0.1% in 2023.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio in June expressed his “grave ethics concerns” over Shein’s alleged “deep ties to the People’s Republic of China” in a letter to then-UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.
“Slave labor, sweat shops, and trade tricks are the dirty secrets behind Shein’s success,” he said.
Rubio’s warnings came weeks after Swiss advocacy group Public Eye found that Shein workers were subject to “excessive overtime.”
With Post wires