Are Products Sold On Temu Made With Forced Labor?

©iStock/zhaojiankang

Temu, a Chinese-owned e-commerce company, selling everything from clothes to electronics and furniture, first launched in the US in 2022 and later in the UK and the rest of the world.  In case you missed it, they also did six 30-second commercials during this year's Super Bowl that pulled in a record 123 million Americans.  That's the good news.

The bad news:

The shopping giant has been criticized by politicians in the UK and US - a US government investigation finding an "extremely high risk" that products sold on Temu could have been made with forced labor.

Temu says it "strictly prohibits" the use of forced, penal, or child labor by all its merchants.

Read more here how Temu is shaking up the world of online shopping. Check out its history here – from the Cayman Islands to Dublin.

Map Your Supply Chains!

©iStock/Tinnakorn Jorruang

Products can contain numerous parts sourced from across the world and are subject to complex supply chains.  This recognition cannot cause the United States to compromise its fundamental commitment to upholding human rights and U.S. law.

“Serious violations such as forced labor could result in termination of the contract with the supplier if mitigation measures fail,” the company said. “That is why we review and actively use our existing processes and seek new solutions to prevent forced labor in our supply chain," says Volkswagen AG.

Learn more here.