Although they no longer make headlines, nor are they the subject of international reports, the Uyghur case is not a closed chapter for the fashion industry. Five years after the United Nations (UN) urged fashion to review its value chain in the wake of the Xinjiang scandal in early 2026, international organizations, governments and specialized analysts agree that the risk of forced labor is still present in global textile supply chains, with Xinjiang at the epicenter.

Despite international vetoes, cotton production in the Uyghur autonomous region of Xinjiang has been growing steadily in recent years. According to official data from the Chinese Bureau of Statistics in 2025, the region produced 6.165 million tons of cotton, accounting for nearly 93% of the total cotton grown in China. The progression is evident, as it accounted for 92% in 2024 and 90% in 2023. According to the country’s National Cotton and Cotton Yarn Trading Center, more than 21% of the world’s cotton comes from Xinjiang.

Since 2017, reports from the United Nations and independent organizations document a system of mass arrests, “re-education” programs and coercive labor transfers of Uyghur population and other Muslim minorities of Turkic origin settled in the region since the Middle Ages.

Mistreatment and non-compliance with human rights treaties has been a constant during the 20th century, but also in the 21st century. However, the turning point came between 2018 and 2020, when journalistic investigations and those of international human rights organizations uncovered the existence of internment camps and forced labor programs linked to strategic sectors, including textiles. Beijing has always denied the allegations, calling them “disinformation campaigns.“

In response, the United States passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (Uflpa) in 2021, which came into force in June 2022. The law states that any product manufactured in whole or in part in Xinjiang is prohibited from entering the U.S. market, unless there is conclusive proof to the contrary.

In January 2026, the UN warned of “forced labor” affecting Uyghurs, Tibetans and Kazakhs

Since then, US Customs and Border Protection has blocked thousands of textile shipments. In January 2025, Washington expanded the list of sanctioned entities to 37 Chinese companies, including spinning giant Huafu Fashion, a major player in Xinjiang cotton, “a major player in the Xinjiang cotton industry. In January 2025, Washington expanded the list of sanctioned entities to 37 Chinese companies, including spinning giant Huafu Fashion, a major player in the Xinjiang cotton industry, “in response to evidence of forced labor in the region,“ according to Walk Free, an organization that studies forced labor and modern slavery around the world.

Far from being diluted, the concern has been reactivated. In January 2026, UN experts warned of “persistent patterns of forced labor” linked to labor transfer programs affecting Uighurs, Tibetans and Kazakhs, noting that the system continues to operate under new administrative formulas.

For fashion, the main problem is not only legal, but operational. Recent research shows how Xinjiang cotton continues to enter global chains through third countries, such as Bangladesh or Vietnam, once it has been transformed into yarn or fabric, making it extremely difficult to trace, according to information published in RTÉ and Ecotextile News.

China has just launched an express train to transport cotton from Xinjiang to other industrial centers far from the international spotlight

China’s own infrastructure reinforces this opacity. In February 2026, an express train has been launched to transport cotton from Xinjiang to the east of the country, accelerating the integration of the raw material in industrial poles far from the international focus, but without improving the mechanisms of independent verification.

The so-called Decathlon case, uncovered by researcher Pierre Leibovici for Disclose, is a good illustration of the reputational risk. The documents resulting from his work, published on ropalimpia.org in May 2025, point to the use of Chinese cotton by suppliers indirectly linked to Xinjiang. The French company has reiterated its commitment to responsible sourcing, but the case highlights the limitations of traditional audits in high-risk contexts.

The US Bureau of Commerce ranks textiles, apparel and chemicals among the goods with the highest risk of forced labor

Beyond specific names, the problem is systemic. The U.S. trade office’s own Uflpa compliance guidance warns that textiles, apparel and certain chemicals associated with textile finishing are among the goods with the highest risk of forced labor, requiring “clear and convincing” evidence of due diligence from importers.

Given recent movements in China and the existing lack of due diligence and transparency in Asian-origin textile products, avoiding Xinjiang on the map is not enough. Without deep traceability, knowledge of yarn origin and real control of indirect suppliers, the legal and reputational risk remains fully active.

The digital passport envisaged by the EU could be a solution, but until the standard arrives, it is a question of responsibility for companies

European legislation envisages the introduction of a digital passport to record the full traceability of garments, from their composition to the companies involved in all stages of their production and ending with recycling. In practice, this will be an additional label on the garment with a QR code that all actors will be able to scan to find useful information on the garment, from manufacturers and transporters to customers or textile recycling companies.

This measure would make it possible to track each garment and solve the problem of traceability, but it is still unknown when it will be mandatory. After the pilot phase that began in 2024, it was set between 2025 and 2030 for implementation in Europe. The United States has not established a federal mandate equivalent to the digital passport.