Sir Sadiq Khan has been called upon to impose a ban on all advertising from the fast-fashion behemoth Shein across Transport for London’s (TfL) network, following growing apprehensions regarding the company’s human rights practices.
Originally established in China and now operating from Singapore, Shein has faced scrutiny over its environmental footprint and labor practices, which include serious allegations related to forced labor within its supply chains.
The company refutes these claims, asserting that it “strictly forbids forced labor in its supply chain on a global scale.”
The mayor’s office directed inquiries to TfL, which indicated it would provide a response to Caroline Russell, leader of the London Assembly Green group. Russell contends that TfL’s reliance on advertising revenue prioritizes “profits over human rights and dignity.”
Her concerns were voiced during the same week that the advocacy group Stop Uyghur Genocide initiated a judicial review aimed at obstructing Shein’s Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the London Stock Exchange.
“In January, as you may recall, Shein was one of the firms scrutinized by parliament’s business and trade committee regarding labor practices in its supply chain,” Russell detailed in a letter to Sir Sadiq, which was made public on Thursday.
She highlighted that representatives from Shein declined to provide answers about the sourcing of cotton from the Xinjiang region of China, known for its forced labor issues involving the Uyghur Muslim minority.
Russell further noted that Shein also evaded inquiries concerning its supply chains and labor standards, an oversight that the committee denounced as ‘willful ignorance’.
In subsequent written statements to members of parliament, Shein clarified that it permits cotton only from designated regions—excluding China—for products sold in the US, its largest market, to comply with American regulations regarding items manufactured in Xinjiang.
However, Shein did not clarify whether these cotton sourcing restrictions were applicable to products sold in other regions, including the UK.
The retailer opined that it does not prohibit the use of Chinese cotton in its products if such practices do not infringe on relevant laws and regulations.
In 2024, Shein acknowledged having discovered two incidents of child labor in its supply chain in the preceding year, leading to a temporary halt of orders from the implicated suppliers until they addressed the issue more effectively.
Russell communicated to the mayor that “Shein should be barred from advertising on the TfL network, especially when serious and publicly raised concerns about egregious human rights violations related to its labor practices exist.”
She expressed her astonishment that the advertisements were permitted and questioned TfL’s ethical framework for accepting advertising campaigns.
The Green Party member also urged for an “immediate prohibition,” arguing that the brand promotes a throwaway culture that ultimately results in waste ending up in landfills.
A spokesperson from TfL stated that all advertising content submitted for its network is evaluated “on an individual basis” to ensure adherence to its advertising policy, as well as the Committee of Advertising Practice code and Advertising Standards Authority guidelines.
In response, a Shein representative noted that the company treats “supply chain risks with utmost seriousness and firmly prohibits forced labor in its supply chain globally” while abiding by all UK laws and regulations.
They further remarked that there is a “widespread misconception that affordable prices equate to poor quality” and emphasized that their operational efficiency enables them to provide “high-quality products at lower prices.”
