Forced Labor
Conduct Screen Labor Rights
Forced or bonded labor, human trafficking for labor exploitation, and modern slavery in direct operations or supply chains. Includes Uyghur forced labor (UFLPA enforcement), ILO forced labor indicators (debt bondage, restriction of movement, withholding wages/documents), and KnowTheChain/Sheffield Hallam documented supply chain violations. Distinct from working_conditions (which covers dangerous but voluntary employment) and worker_exploitation (which covers wage theft and misclassification).
24 companies currently excluded under this screen
Excluded Companies (24 total)
Showing 24 of 24 companies excluded under this screen.
| Ticker | Company | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 726 | Luthai Textile Co Ltd | Luthai Textile Co Ltd is a major Chinese textile manufacturer producing yarn-dyed fabrics, primarily for export to global apparel brands. The company's supply chain is deeply embedded in the Xinjiang region, a documented source of forced labor. The 2021 Sheffield Hallam University report "Laundering Cotton" identifies Luthai as a key supplier to international brands and details how Xinjiang cotton, which is tainted by state-sponsored forced labor programs targeting Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities, enters global supply chains through complex manufacturing and export networks. The report specifically names Luthai as a company that sources cotton from Xinjiang and processes it into fabric for export. The forced labor system in Xinjiang involves coercive state programs, including "poverty alleviation" and "vocational training" initiatives, which systematically transfer Uyghur and other minority workers into factories under conditions of surveillance, restricted movement, and ideological indoctrination. Luthai's operations and sourcing in this region link the company directly to these human rights abuses. There is no public evidence of effective due diligence or remediation efforts by Luthai to identify, prevent, or mitigate forced labor in its Xinjiang supply chains, placing it at high risk of complicity under international standards and enforcement actions like the U.S. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. |
| 1211 | BYD | BYD, China's largest electric vehicle manufacturer, was identified in a February 2024 Human Rights Watch report titled "Asleep at the Wheel" as failing to minimize the risk of Uyghur forced labor in its aluminum supply chain. Nearly 10% of the world's aluminum, a key material for automotive manufacturing, is produced in the Xinjiang region where the Chinese government has subjected Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim communities to forced labor through both detention centers and labor transfer programs that relocate workers from rural to urban factory settings. HRW documented that aluminum producers in Xinjiang participate directly in these labor transfers. BYD provided no response to HRW's inquiry about supply chain oversight, joint venture governance, or the origin of its aluminum. The report found that some carmakers, including BYD, apply weaker human rights standards at Chinese operations than in their global supply chains. |
| 002459 | JA Solar Technology Co Ltd | JA Solar Technology is a major Chinese solar panel manufacturer whose supply chain is linked to Uyghur forced labor in the Xinjiang region. The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region produces approximately 35% of the world's solar-grade polysilicon, and the four leading polysilicon manufacturers in the region are implicated in forced labor either through direct participation in government labor transfer programs or through raw material sourcing. The U.S. Department of Labor and the Sheffield Hallam University report "In Broad Daylight" identify at least 90 companies whose solar supply chains are affected by Uyghur forced labor. JA Solar is flagged by the AFSC Investigate database for sourcing polysilicon from Xinjiang suppliers. The U.S. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act specifically targets polysilicon, authorizing Customs and Border Protection to detain solar imports suspected of Xinjiang-region production. |
| ITRK | Intertek | Intertek provides social compliance auditing services to global supply chains, certifying that factories meet labor standards. In this role, the company has faced specific allegations of failing to detect forced labor and protect migrant workers. In Malaysia, Intertek auditors reportedly failed to identify forced labor conditions at a glove factory supplying major international brands. In Thailand, the company has been cited for allegations of not providing adequate compensation to migrant workers from Myanmar. The Solidarity Center and other labor rights organizations have criticized Intertek and the broader auditing industry for systemic failures to protect vulnerable migrant workers, particularly in Southeast Asian supply chains, where indicators of forced labor—such as debt bondage, restriction of movement, and withholding of documents—are prevalent. |
| SBUX | Starbucks Corporation | Starbucks Corporation faces documented allegations of forced labor within its coffee supply chain. In April 2025, a lawsuit filed in U.S. federal court (John Doe I v. Starbucks Corporation, D.D.C. # 25-01261) accused the company of sourcing coffee from Brazilian plantations using slave labor. The complaint, brought by an anti-forced labor group, alleges violations took place on thousands of supplier plantations. This followed a 2023 investigation that found slave and child labor on certified coffee farms supplying Starbucks, highlighting labor irregularities at the farm level. The company, which sources packaged Arabica coffee beans for its global network of over 38,000 stores, has been the subject of multiple complaints to U.S. authorities linking its supply chain to forced labor in Brazil. |
| KR | Kroger Company (The) | Kroger's supply chain has been linked to prison labor and forced labor. A two-year Associated Press investigation published in January 2024 traced products from incarcerated workers into Kroger stores, including eggs marketed under brands such as Land O'Lakes, Eggland's Best, and Hickman's. Incarcerated workers producing these goods are not covered by federal safety standards and face solitary confinement for refusing to work. Separately, US Customs blocked a 2021 shipment from Mastronardi Produce, a Kroger tomato supplier, over forced labor allegations at Mexican agribusinesses. A January 2024 Jacobin investigation further documented ties between Kroger and a farmworker human trafficking ring. |
| TSLA | Tesla | A May 2025 investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) linked Tesla’s supply chain to "labor transfer" schemes in Xinjiang. Specifically, Tesla’s partnership with Sanan Optoelectronics for chips involves a supplier that utilizes state-coerced Uyghur labor. Additionally, Human Rights Watch documented Tesla’s significant exposure to the "tainted" aluminum industry in Xinjiang, where forced labor is integrated into the coal-to-smelter energy cycle. The company's use of cobalt suppliers like Glencore is additional cause for concern. |
| ABEV | Ambev S.A. | In early 2024, Brazil's Ministry of Labor exposed Ambev for subjecting over 300 workers to inhumane conditions during the Salvador Carnival. Workers selling Ambev beer were deprived of basic accommodation and sanitary facilities and forced to sleep on the ground. This follows a 2021 incident where 22 Venezuelans and one Haitian immigrant lived for months (some more than a year) in the cab of trucks parked at an Ambev distributor's headquarters. They did not have access to drinking water, and were forced to work long hours without a day off. |
| SNA | SNAP-ON INC | Snap-on operates significant manufacturing facilities in China (Snap-on Asia Manufacturing, Kunshan and Xiaoshan). 2025 Sheffield Hallam University / Helena Kennedy Centre report identified tier-2 steel and plastic component suppliers as participants in "poverty alleviation" labor transfer programs linked to Xinjiang. Under UFLPA, Snap-on faced increased scrutiny and Withhold Release Orders for shipments of tool storage components containing aluminum and PVC sourced from XPCC periphery entities. |
| 489 | DONGFENG MOTOR GROUP LTD H | Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ, 2025) and Business & Human Rights Resource Centre traced Dongfeng's supply chain to at least six factories in Hubei and Shandong participating in state-sponsored labor transfer programs. Factories produce wiring harnesses and aluminum components for models including Voyah luxury EV and Dacia Spring (for Renault). Dongfeng failed to respond to Mighty Earth 2024-2025 inquiries regarding these human rights risks. |
| ARMK | Aramark | Provides food services to approximately 450 U.S. prisons and jails across 35+ states. Subsidiary IN2WORK placed over 6,000 incarcerated people in Aramark kitchens classified as "students" to avoid wage requirements. A 2019 federal lawsuit at Santa Rita Jail documented workers preparing 16,000+ meals daily without compensation under threat of solitary confinement, with claims proceeding under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. |
| CRI | Carter's, Inc. | KnowTheChain Apparel & Footwear Benchmark 2023 (BHRRC) - Score: 11/100 (sector average 21/100); KnowTheChain identified allegation of forced labour in Carter's supply chains linked to alleged Uyghur forced labor; ranked below sector average on Traceability & Risk Assessment, Purchasing Practices, and Worker Voice; sources predominantly from high forced-labor-risk countries |
| ROST | Ross Stores, Inc. | ASPI "Uyghurs for Sale" (2020) names Ross Stores among 83 brands linked to Uyghur forced labor transfer programs. Off-price sourcing model creates highly opaque, untraceable supply chains. UFLPA rebuttable presumption applies — Ross cannot demonstrate goods are free of Xinjiang inputs. Company declined to respond to Coalition disclosure requests. |
| TGT | Target Corporation | ASPI "Uyghurs for Sale" (2020) implicates Target in Uyghur forced labor supply chains. ABC/ASPI investigations flagged Target as at risk of using forced labour in textiles and consumer goods. Massive UFLPA exposure given heavy reliance on Chinese manufacturing. Listed among retailers that failed to adequately disclose supply chain due diligence. |
| EFGSY | EIffage SA | Eiffage SA has faced allegations of forced labor and exploitation of migrant workers on construction sites for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Workers reported being subjected to unpaid labor, denied pay slips, holidays, and overtime. The company has been accused of evading responsibility for these human rights violations. |
| QCOM | Qualcomm Inc. | KnowTheChain ICT Benchmark 2025 (BHRRC) - Score: 14/100; Qualcomm scored in worst half of 45 assessed ICT companies; acknowledged sourcing gold from Xinjiang suppliers flagged for forced labor, citing third-party audits as grounds for continued sourcing; purchasing practices scored near zero; zero on forced labor allegation response |
| NIU | Niu Technologies | Niu Technologies is subject to the rebuttable presumption of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). The company's supply chain for lithium-ion batteries and aluminum components is heavily integrated with Xinjiang-based suppliers. U.S. CBP has flagged the automotive and electronics sectors as high-risk for forced labor. |
| ADM | Archer-Daniels-Midland Company | Recent investigative reports link ADM's operations in China to the Xinjiang region, specifically regarding the processing of agricultural commodities potentially tied to state-sponsored labor programs. Sheffield Hallam University research documents evidence of forced labor in agricultural supply chains connected to ADM. |
| NVDA | NVIDIA Corporation | Restofworld documented severe labor abuses (debt bondage, recruitment fees, 16-hour quotas) among migrant workers at Taiwan semiconductor foundries supplying Nvidia; The company has a knowthechain benchmark score of 11/100 indicating a lack of progress on internal controls aimed at controlling forced labor. |
| AMD | ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES INC | KnowTheChain ICT Benchmark 2025 (BHRRC) - Advanced Micro Devices assessed in 45-company ICT forced labor benchmark; AMD among only five companies to respond to Xinjiang gold sourcing allegations but continued sourcing despite flags; individual scorecard published by BHRRC |
| SWKS | SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS INC | KnowTheChain ICT Benchmark 2025 (BHRRC) - Skyworks Solutions assessed among 45 largest global ICT companies; sector-wide median 14/100; scored below sector average; all companies in benchmark scored zero on responding to forced labor allegations in supply chains |
| JKS | JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. | Xinjiang polysilicon supply chain connections; US federal agents raided JinkoSolar US properties (May 2023) in connection with UFLPA enforcement. Sheffield Hallam 'Sins of a Solar Empire' report documents Xinjiang forced labor in solar supply chains. |
| CVX | Chevron Corporation | Chevron's Yadana gas pipeline project in Myanmar has been linked to forced labor by Amazon Watch and AFSC, with local populations compelled to work on pipeline infrastructure. |
| MSFT | Microsoft Corporation | Microsoft was identified by ASPI as benefiting from Uyghur labor transfer programs through its China-based manufacturing supply chain for consumer electronics. |
The Naughty List
A digest of changes to our exclusion list — new additions, removals, and the evidence behind them. We review the list continuously as new evidence surfaces.
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