China retaliates, claims PVH engaged in 'inappropriate' practices in Xinjiang region

Findings of a preliminary investigation into PVH have alleged that the US fashion giant engaged in improper practices within China’s Xinjiang region, the country’s Ministry of Commerce (MOC) has said.

The Tommy Hilfiger parent company is among a number of firms from the US that are claimed to have engaged in “inappropriate conduct” in the region, which is primarily known for its cotton production.

Speaking to multiple media outlets, a spokesperson for the ministry said that a probe into PVH as part of the unreliable entity list mechanism was progressing in a lawful manner, and that the ministry had plans to meet with the retail group in the future before results of the investigation were disclosed to the public.

The investigation was initially launched back in September, when China said that PVH was suspected of “unjustly boycotting” cotton sourced from Xinjiang “without factual basis”, Reuters reported at the time.

The company was required to provide documentation and evidence detailing any “discriminatory measures” taken in relation to Xinjiang products over the past three years.

In recent years, China has come under fire for allegations of forced labour in the cotton producing region, which has been subject to investigations of its own, most notably by the United Nations.

In mid-2022, the UN published a report suggesting that it had found evidence of “serious human rights violations” in Xinjiang, while further investigations have alleged that around 1.6 million Uyghur Muslims were being held in incarceration camps and were undergoing forced labour. China has continued to deny these claims.

Analysts have suggested that China’s current investigations into PVH and other US firms are part of retaliation efforts against the US’ increasingly strict import restrictions on products said to have been sourced from Xinjiang.

Tensions have also been heightened in recent months ahead of Donald Trump’s return to presidency. A portion of Trump’s campaign had been focused on significantly upping tariffs on imported China-made goods, a mission he said he intends to stick to immediately upon entering the White House.