On July 31, 2026, the US Department of Homeland Security added 43 Chinese companies, including cotton textiles, to the “Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Law” entity list. This move was the largest single expansion since the list was established, seriously violating the basic rules of international trade. The China Cotton Association expressed great concern and firm opposition to this. The US side's accusation of so-called “forced labor” has no factual or legal basis. China's cotton industry has always adhered to the direction of marketization and modernization. Machine cotton harvesting in Xinjiang now accounts for more than 90%. The entire industry chain, from planting and harvesting to processing and textiles, has achieved a high degree of automation and scale. The labor rights and interests of the vast majority of cotton farmers and industrial workers are strictly protected by Chinese law. Employment choices are completely free, and there is no such thing as forced labor. The US side ignores this objective fact and imposes a “presumption of guilt” on Chinese enterprises. The essence of this is to politicize and instrumentalize human rights issues in an attempt to curb the development of China's cotton textile industry. The sanctions have seriously undermined the stability of the global cotton industry chain and supply chain. As a global commodity, cotton's industrial chain is highly internationalized. This move by the US side harms the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies. In the face of US suppression, China's cotton industry is confident and capable of meeting the challenges. China has the most complete cotton and textile industry chain in the world, a large-scale domestic consumer market, and an increasingly diversified international market layout. We call on domestic cotton and textile enterprises to maintain strength, firm confidence, strengthen cooperation, actively explore diversified markets, enhance supply chain resilience, and break external blockades with high-quality products and irreplaceable industrial advantages. The China Cotton Association will continue to support and protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese cotton and textile enterprises. Continue to promote the “China Cotton Sustainable Development Project”, adhere to the concept of “environmental friendliness, excellent quality, respect for labor, and full traceability”, do a good job of information disclosure and enterprise supervision, so that the green attributes of the products are “visible, clear, verifiable and traceable”, and shape the image of China's cotton and textile industry of high quality and sustainable development.

On July 31, 2026, the US Department of Homeland Security added 43 Chinese companies, including cotton textiles, to the “Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Law” entity list. This move was the largest single expansion since the list was established, seriously violating the basic rules of international trade. The China Cotton Association expressed great concern and firm opposition to this. The US side's accusation of so-called “forced labor” has no factual or legal basis. China's cotton industry has always adhered to the direction of marketization and modernization. Machine cotton harvesting in Xinjiang now accounts for more than 90%. The entire industry chain, from planting and harvesting to processing and textiles, has achieved a high degree of automation and scale. The labor rights and interests of the vast majority of cotton farmers and industrial workers are strictly protected by Chinese law. Employment choices are completely free, and there is no such thing as forced labor. The US side ignores this objective fact and imposes a “presumption of guilt” on Chinese enterprises. The essence of this is to politicize and instrumentalize human rights issues in an attempt to curb the development of China's cotton textile industry. The sanctions have seriously undermined the stability of the global cotton industry chain and supply chain. As a global commodity, cotton's industrial chain is highly internationalized. This move by the US side harms the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies. In the face of US suppression, China's cotton industry is confident and capable of meeting the challenges. China has the most complete cotton and textile industry chain in the world, a large-scale domestic consumer market, and an increasingly diversified international market layout. We call on domestic cotton and textile enterprises to maintain strength, firm confidence, strengthen cooperation, actively explore diversified markets, enhance supply chain resilience, and break external blockades with high-quality products and irreplaceable industrial advantages. The China Cotton Association will continue to support and protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese cotton and textile enterprises. Continue to promote the “China Cotton Sustainable Development Project”, adhere to the concept of “environmental friendliness, excellent quality, respect for labor, and full traceability”, do a good job of information disclosure and enterprise supervision, so that the green attributes of the products are “visible, clear, verifiable and traceable”, and shape the image of China's cotton and textile industry of high quality and sustainable development.