UK Says Top Chinese Online Seller Shein Lied On Labor Conditions

Shein, the fast-growing Chinese online retailer, has not made public disclosures about working conditions along its supply chain that are required by law in the United Kingdom, and the company until recently falsely stated on its website that conditions in the factories it uses were certified by international labor standards bodies, Victoria Waldersee reported for Reuters.

Photo Insert: As per Chinese media outlets, Shein has reached a $15 billion valuation.

In Britain, companies over a certain size must prominently state on their websites the steps they are taking to combat forced labor as part of the country’s Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Shein’s “social responsibility” page states that it “never, ever” engages in child or forced labor, but does not provide the full supply chain disclosures required by British law.

The law mandates that firms selling more than 36 million pounds of goods globally per year must provide a statement on a searchable link available on a prominent place on its home page, dated to a financial year and signed by a director, outlining the steps it is taking to prevent modern slavery in its supply chain.

Shein declined to provide its annual revenue to Reuters, stating it does not disclose its revenue publicly. Analysts have estimated the company’s valuation at $15 billion, with annual revenue of at least $5 billion.

A spokesperson for Shein said it is in the process of finalizing statements required by UK law and plans to publish them on its website. “We are developing comprehensive policies, which we will post on our website in the next couple of weeks,” the Shein spokesperson said on Aug. 2.

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