Xinjiang cotton found in 19% of apparel sold in U.S. and abroad

Despite mounting efforts to eradicate products tied to human rights abuses from retail shelves, a new study found that prohibited cotton from China’s Xinjiang region is still rampant in global supply chains.

A study conducted by Applied DNA Sciences and Stratum Reservoir found that 19% of apparel sold in the United States and abroad contained Xinjiang cotton. Researchers tested more than 820 samples, including apparel, yarn, fabric, and finished garments, from a range of big-box retailers and e-commerce platforms using DNA tagging and isotopic analysis to determine the cotton's true origin.

The results revealed the widespread presence of Xinjiang cotton in products purportedly from other regions. 57% of the products containing Xinjiang cotton were mislabeled as being sourced solely from the United States. 66% of the positive samples were mixed with cotton from other regions, while 34% were exclusively from Xinjiang. Among the blended samples, 42% included cotton from Brazil, and 40% included cotton from the United States.

Under the United States’ Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, imported cotton from the Xinjiang region is forbidden under the suspicion of forced labor. More than 8,000 apparel, footwear and textile shipments have been detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection since the law’s implementation in 2022.

While the researchers declined to name which stores they tested items from, the items were purchased in the U.S. or from retailers that ship to the U.S. The researchers noted that a substantial portion of these goods entered the country under the de minimis rule, which allows small packages valued at less than $800 to bypass rigorous scrutiny. The law has come under scrutiny from Congress and earlier this year U.S. Customs reported that it was “intensifying its targeting and enforcement efforts to increase and expedite the prosecution of illegal customs practices,” including its scrutiny of de minimis exceptions.

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