“…You have given us almost zero confidence in the integrity of your supply chains, you can’t even tell us what your products are made from, you can’t tell us much about the conditions which workers have to work in. The reluctance to answer basic questions has frankly bordered on contempt of the committee”
– Chair Liam Byrne, Business and Trade Committee.
This was the scathing remark made towards the SHEIN representative, Yihan Zhu, at last week’s Business and Trade Committee.
I saw this clip pop up on both my LinkedIn and Instagram feeds last week, and I had to find out what would prompt Chair Liam Byrne to make such a statement. I watched the entire recording (here), and it was spicy. I highly encourage you to watch it too.
The committee hearing was split into three parts, with representatives from McDonald’s, TEMU and SHEIN questioned on their business practices, supply chain transparency and ethical labour standards-a.k.a. is there forced (as in slave), labour in their supply chains?
And yes, “shock- horror” there is.
The hearing had some…. let’s say ‘enlightening’ moments. For example, after McDonald’s (UK) CEO Alistair Macrows’ passionate speech on the progressive steps McDonald’s had made to address sexual misconduct within UK restaurants [1-3], he was asked to comment on the BBC’s 2024 report of the human trafficking gang that had infiltrated McDonald’s UK Franchises [4]. Spicy.
Meanwhile, the SHEIN representative, Zhu, couldn’t (or wouldn’t) confirm if cotton could be found in SHEIN products. When pushed to comment on whether the cotton was sourced from Xinjiang (a region where cotton products are likely produced by forced labour), she responded, “I do not think it is our place to comment on just having a geopolitical debate”.
But it is illegal to sell items within the EU and UK that are made using forced labour or child labour. This is outlined under due diligence provisions in the UK’s Modern Slavery Act 2015.
And let’s be clear: SHEIN did [5-7]. SHEIN reported finding cases of child labour in their 2023 sustainability report [7], and Zhu could not confirm whether SHEIN had terminated contracts with those suppliers. The TEMU representatives sat quietly through SHEIN’s grilling and answered only one question, appearing as the ‘golden child’ of the trio.
That said, I do feel that the committee could have probed further into understanding how SHEIN interacts with its contract manufacturers (and how they source their materials) and SHEIN’s auditing practices, instead of the source of cotton for SHEIN products. Zhu herself stated…
“We do not own any manufacturing facilities; we work with a wide network of suppliers… Our contract manufacturers… we have manufacturers in China, in Brazil and Turkey”.
This means that, like many other fashion brands, SHEIN just hands over the product designs (product specifications) they want to sell to their manufacturers. The contract manufacturers, who are SHEIN’s suppliers, source the materials to make the garments to the required specification. SHEIN may choose to audit these suppliers but, they have limited control of where the materials are sourced.
This model will never have full transparency due to the limited traceability. And this typical for many companies that follow the “fast-fashion model” as it prioritises producing low-cost products- often at expense of labour practices, product quality and sustainability.
As mentioned, SHEIN’s suppliers are audited by third parties. As Zhu explained:
“ the key principle is that we comply with the laws and regulations in the countries we operate… ”
This means that if SHEIN (and its suppliers) operate within those laws, they believe they are fulfilling their legal obligations. If it is legal for workers to work in poor conditions for long hours at low wages, SHEIN is not legally required to do more. They potentially could- they could influence suppliers to change their practices- but doing so could have a knock-on effect of higher priced products.
All-in-all, SHEIN didn’t come out great at this hearing. From evading questions to providing minimal information in answers and appearing generally under-prepared, it’s really no surprise that Liam Byrne made that closing statement.
In closing:
Do I believe this hearing is going to impact SHEIN’s brand? Not really, no. The hearing has likely damaged Zhu’s career and reputation more than the SHEIN brand. I don’t expect this to stop people buying SHEIN products (sadly), nor do I think this will encourage SHEIN to develop better practices.
However, I am curious to see whether this hearing leads to any real changes to fast-fashion business practices, in the form of investigations or new legislation.
Ellie 😊
[1] Butler, S. and Kalyeena Makortoff (2025). McDonald’s sacked 29 people after sexual harassment allegations, MPs told. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jan/07/mcdonalds-workers-legal-action-harassment-claims.
[2] Bane, C. (2024). McDonalds taking action on sexual harassment claims but faces legal action for age discrimination. [online] B3sixty. Available at: https://www.b3sixty.co.uk/mcdonalds-taking-action-on-sexual-harassment-claims-but-faces-legal-action-for-age-discrimination/.
[3] Conway, Z. (2025). McDonald’s faces new abuse claims despite promises of change. BBC News. [online] 7 Jan. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c75ngl49695o.
[4] McLennan, W. (2024). McDonald’s and supermarkets failed to spot slavery. [online] BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2kdg84zj4wo.
[5] Rudge, S. (2024). Shein Faces Allegations of Child Labor. [online] Supply Chain World magazine. Available at: https://scw-mag.com/news/shein-faces-allegations-of-child-labor/.
[6] Reid, H. (2024). Shein reveals child labour cases as it steps up supplier audits. [online] Reuters. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/shein-reveals-child-labour-cases-it-steps-up-supplier-audits-2024-08-22/.
[7] Shein (2023). 2023 Sustainability and Social Impact Report. [online] Available at: https://www.sheingroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/FINAL-SHEIN-2023-Sustainability-and-Social-Impact-Report.pdf.pdf.