UK Could Be 'Dumping Ground' for Exploitative Firms, MPs Say

The government must close loopholes that enable firms exploiting workers to undercut British businesses or risk the UK becoming a "dumping ground" for goods made in poor conditions, MPs have said.

- Sarah Butler

In a report published today, the business and trade select committee calls on ministers to make it mandatory for firms to say how they will tackle modern slavery in their supply chains and to introduce bigger penalties for firms that do not comply.

It says action to toughen up the Modern Slavery Act is now a pressing need as Europe and the US are getting tougher on blocking the import of goods made under poor conditions.

The call comes after MPs said they were "pretty horrified" by the failure of Shein, the cut-price online fast fashion business, which mostly manufactures in China, to answer questions about whether its products included cotton produced in the Xinjiang region of China, which has been linked to forced Uyghur labour.