How firms linked to sanctioned Chinese cotton giant sell clothes to U.S.
Since Esquel's blacklisting, three garment makers in Vietnam have continued to source much of its cotton while also selling products to the U.S.
In July, a shipment of cotton shirts destined for U.S. customers arrived at the port of Los Angeles. The textile had originated from Vietnam and was produced by a factory with connections to Esquel Group, a prominent Chinese textile conglomerate. Esquel Group was sanctioned by the United States in November 2024 due to alleged ties to forced labor practices in China's Xinjiang region.
Despite the ban, three Vietnamese garment manufacturers continue to source cotton from the banned Esquel Group and export products to the United States. These manufacturers have maintained ties to Esquel Group, using similar names such as "Esquel Garment Manufacturing Vietnam" before officially rebranding in October 2022.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
