U.K., Nov. 9 -- UK Parliament issued the following news:

The Government has indicated it will legislate for a mandatory due diligence regime to tackle forced labour in UK supply chains, after sustained pressure from the BIST Committee.

Read the response

On 4 July 2026, the Committee published a report on how the UK could deal with a tariff-warring US administration , urging the Government to shift focus from negotiations that had failed to establish any new economic relationship or even trade certainty.

The Committee's report repeated the call that ministers update measures in the Modern Slavery Act to ensure the UK did not "become a dumping ground for goods produced with exploitative labour". The lack of such safeguards was cited by the US administration in justifying new tariffs.

The Committee has made the call to strengthen safeguards against forced labour since its hearing with Chinese firm Shein , in which the firm's representative repeatedly declined to confirm whether its products contained cotton sourced from China, including Xinjiang. The session underlined the need for enforceable duties requiring companies to identify and tackle exploitation.

The Government's review of Responsible Business Conduct was published last week, as urged by the Committee.

Chair comment

Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP, Chair of the BIST Committee, said:

"Today we're announcing a breakthrough for the Committee and everyone campaigning for a ban on goods made with forced labour.

"For too long, it has been an outrage that our great country which led the abolition of slavery has had weaker defences against forced labour imports than either the EU or the United States.

"Now, almost two years on from our hearings with Shein, when the firm repeatedly refused to confirm in Parliament whether its products contained cotton from China, including Xinjiang, we have a clear commitment to change the law.

"Large companies must be required to identify and tackle abuse in their supply chains, with effective powers to remove goods made with forced labour from sale. Now we need a clear timetable, a regulator with the resources to enforce the rules, and meaningful consequences for companies that fail to comply. Our promise is simple: we will hold ministers to their promise and shine a light on whether these reforms protect workers, give consumers confidence and deliver fair competition for responsible businesses."

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.