The sports goods retailer Decathlon has been accused by the investigative media outlet Disclose and the programme Cash Investigation, broadcast on France 2, of maintaining commercial relations with a subcontractor suspected of using forced labour on Chinese Uyghurs. The French company, part of the Mulliez empire, refutes these accusations.

According to , Decathlon sources its textiles from the Chinese group Qingdao Jifa, which “relies on a network of forced labour in China.” The Cash Investigation documentary, to be broadcast this evening, provides further details. A local executive indicates that cotton stored in a company producing for the Mulliez company may have come from Xinjiang, a region where Muslim Uyghurs are the main ethnic group.

While the company has confirmed that it sources from Qingdao Jifa, it rejects any use of forced labour in its supply chain. “We strongly condemn all forms of forced labour. We are committed on a daily basis to ensuring integrity and respect for fundamental rights within our activities and our value chain,” Decathlon told AFP. The company assures that it will take “all necessary measures” if the facts are proven.

The company also stated that “100% of the cotton used in the manufacture of its products comes from sources committed to more responsible practices, guaranteeing the absence of any form of forced labour, and including organic and recycled cotton.”

NBA products potentially affected

The issue of cotton sourcing from Xinjiang, China is highly sensitive at international level. In the past, Xinjiang has been hit by bloody attacks attributed by the authorities to Islamists and separatists, and China has launched a vast security campaign in the territory in the name of anti-terrorism. According to claims by NGOs and Western studies, Uyghurs are victims of forced labour.

In the United States, a law passed by congress in December 2021 bans all imports of products from Xinjiang unless companies in the region can prove that their production does not involve forced labour. This measure puts Decathlon in an awkward position, as Cash Investigation mentions products sold by the company bearing the logo of the American basketball league, the NBA, of which Decathlon has been a partner since 2021.

Decathlon opened its first shop in Luxembourg , near Place Hamilius in Luxembourg City.

This article was originally published in .