"Revealed: New Zealand’s obsession with TEMU exposes dark reality of worker exploitation", 17 Oct 2024

[...] Tearfund, in collaboration with Baptist World Aid, reviewed the latest 2024 Ethical Fashion Report to see how companies like Temu and Shein rank in terms of protecting workers and mitigating environmental damage. The report, which surveys and scores 120 of the world’s largest fashion brands, revealed that the average score across brands was 31 out of 100. Shein scored 20, while Temu received a rock-bottom score of 0.

[...] Tearfund also expressed concerns that Temu and Shein may be selling products made under forced labour conditions. A 2022 Bloomberg investigation confirmed that cotton used in Shein’s products was sourced from the Xinjiang region in China, an area accused of using state-sanctioned forced labour involving Uyghur Muslims and other minority groups. Temu has also been flagged for having an “extremely high risk” of forced labour in its supply chain, according to a report by US lawmakers. [...]

A Temu spokesperson sent chrislynchmedia.com a statement and said “Temu operates an online marketplace connecting consumers with third-party merchants.

“Apparel is just one of the dozens of product categories offered on our platform and not the main focus.

“Our competitive prices result from streamlining the supply chain and eliminating middlemen. Many traditional retailers and platforms rely on middlemen to source products from the same manufacturers that sell on Temu. With our direct-from-factory model, consumers avoid paying the added intermediary costs and markup.

Temu is committed to upholding ethical, humane, and lawful business practices, as outlined in our Third-Party Code of Conduct. Our business partners and third-party merchants must comply with strict standards regarding labor, safety, and environmental protection. We reserve the right to end relationships with those who do not meet these requirements.

We remain focused on building a safe, fair, and trustworthy platform for consumers and merchants.”