"Walmart, Centric probe suppliers for potential links to Cambodia women's prison", 21 August 2023

Walmart and Centric Brands are investigating their supply chains in Cambodia over allegations that inmates at the country's largest women's prison were illegally employed to produce garments for export, following questions posed by Reuters and inquiries from a U.S. industry group about labour practices there.

The American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) wrote to Cambodia's ambassador to Washington, Keo Chhea, ..., expressing "strong concerns regarding credible reports" that inmates at Correctional Center 2 (CC2), near Phnom Penh, were producing garments and other textile products for export, including to the U.S., as part of a rehabilitation program...

The U.S. companies, along with Walmart importer Travelway Group International, said they were investigating their supply chains ...

"We find the allegations very concerning," a Walmart spokesperson said ... "Forced labor of any kind is abhorrent, and we believe all people should be treated with dignity and not be exploited." The spokesperson said the investigation was ongoing as of mid-August.

Centric told ... that it had "placed on hold" imports from a factory in Cambodia and would "immediately terminate" any supplier found to be using prison labour...

Authentic Brands Group, which owns the IZOD brand, and BFC said they took forced-labour allegations seriously...

A spokesperson for amfori said members were responsible for monitoring their suppliers and subcontractors, but that to the best of his knowledge amfori had not encountered cases of forced or prison labour in Cambodia and had not found a connection between its members' businesses and CC2.

WRAP also said it was investigating the case...