UK MANUFACTURERS AND FORCED LABOUR LAWS

The National Crime Agency (NCA) , which leads the UK’s fight to cut serious and organised crime, has recently indicated a willingness to investigate companies that import goods made or assembled by forced labourers. This approach was confirmed in a recent case in the High Court in the context of cotton products imported from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. We would assess the extent to which UK clothing companies could be pursued for “acquiring, using or possessing” goods made with modern slavery or crimes against humanity as a reselt of this potential legal change. We’d call on lawyers and try the NCA  to understand how companies should deal with this now- and in the future.