// There is an ‘extremely high risk’ that Temu sells goods made using forced labour, US lawmakers have said
// The claims were derived from an investigation into adherence with a US law, which bans the import of products made with forced Uyghur labour
There is an “extremely high risk” that goods sold via Temu have been made using forced labour, according to US lawmakers.
The accusations come from an investigation looking into adherence with a 2021 US law, banning the import of products made with forced Uyghur labour.
The online marketplace said it was not responsible for its app being used by third-party sellers.
The House Select Committee on the Chinese Community Party said: “American consumers should know that there is an extremely high risk that Temu’s supply chains are contaminated with forced labor.”
The report explained that the PDD Holdings-owned marketplace required its suppliers to agree to a ‘code of conduct’.
However, it said the company relied on third parties to point out issues, which it described as a “dubious” system.
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The report clarified: “Temu does not have any system to ensure compliance with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). This all but guarantees that shipments from Temu containing products made with forced labor are entering the United States on a regular basis.”
Temu launched in the UK earlier this year, under the company’s international expansion.
The business operates similarly to an Amazon-like marketplace and sells low-priced goods from suppliers around the world.
Since launching in September 2022, Temu has experienced rapid sales growth, becoming the most downloaded shopping app in the US back in March.
However, Amazon excluded the marketplace from its competitive price checks earlier this month over concerns from third-party merchants about fake goods.
The ecommerce company claimed Temu did not meet its qualification requirements for its fair pricing policy.
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