The suppliers that do not sign the commitment will not be allowed to work with H&M. H&M has an equivalent ban on cotton from Uzbekistan since 2013.

 

The reason for this ban is that H&M under no circumstances accepts underage workers and/or forced labor being used anywhere in our value chain, including in cotton cultivation. Unfortunately this is sometimes the case in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan and H&M does therefore not accept conventional cotton from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan or Syria in our products.

 

H&M, a Swedish multinational retail clothing company, has put a ban on cotton from Turkmenistan and Syria due to underage workers involved in cotton cultivation, the company said in a press release.

 

The company which known for its fast-fashion clothing for men, women, teenagers and children, has signed a commitment requirement with all its suppliers that they don't buy cotton from Turkmenistan or Syria. The suppliers that do not sign the commitment would not be allowed to work with H&M.

 

The Cotton Campaign, a global coalition of human rights, labor, investor and business organizations dedicated to eradicating child labor and forced labor in cotton production, has urged the US government downgrade Uzbekistan to its lowest level in its upcoming trafficking report in response to the country's continued use of forced labour in cotton harvests.