"Milwaukee Tool Sued Over Alleged Chinese Forced Labor in Supply Chain", 27 June 2024

Milwaukee Tool faces a lawsuit from a former Chinese prisoner who alleges he was forced to make work gloves for a supplier to the power tool company after being jailed for his activism.

The former prisoner, using the pseudonym Xu Lun, filed a lawsuit Thursday in Milwaukee federal court against Milwaukee Tool and its Hong Kong-based parent company, Techtronic Industries, alleging that in 2022 he was part of a crew of prison laborers forced to make Milwaukee Tool-branded gloves under the threat of beatings and electric shock...

A representative for Milwaukee Tool said it has found no evidence of forced labor in the production of its gloves despite rigorous investigations and it considers the claim meritless. Techtronic didn’t respond to a request for comment. In a 2022 environmental, social and governance report, the company said it prohibits the use of forced labor in its supply chain.

The new lawsuit against Milwaukee Tool comes amid a U.S. crackdown targeting goods allegedly made with forced labor in China, though law enforcement has tended to simply block the import of goods rather than attempting to fine the companies involved...