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The operator of the Uniqlo clothing chain says no human rights abuses have occurred along its supply chains.
A Fast Retailing executive comment came in response to an investigation by France into allegations of forced labor.
Uniqlo France and three other companies are the subject of the investigation. Two NGOs say cotton products from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China may have been made through forced labor.
Okazaki Takeshi, Group Senior Executive Officer & CFO of Fast Retailing, says the company only uses products that have been confirmed to be free from human rights abuses and the company confidently moves on.
U.S. Customs blocked a shipment of Uniqlo-branded shirts in January on the grounds that the Japanese clothing giant had violated an import ban on cotton products from Xinjiang.
Fast Retailing also announced an earnings outlook on Thursday. Both sales and operating income were downgraded from September to August. The company said sales in Japan and China were lower than expected amid the coronavirus pandemic.
