Post by Hacci on Aug 19, 2021 16:56:13 GMT 10
Huafu Fashion is one of the world's biggest manufacturers and suppliers of new cotton yarns, and it's been hit by US sanctions. Washington first issued targeted measures against textile producers in Xinjiang back in 2020. Then in January 2021, the US announced a blanket ban on all Xinjiang cotton. Wei Lynn Tang visits one of the group's facilities in the city of Aksu, and has this report.
Tens of thousands of colored yarns are churned out in this factory every year, before they are supplied to garment factories and turned into clothes. But Western brands such as H&M and Adidas no longer source the cotton from this factory.
Aksu Huafu Textiles, part of Shenzhen-listed Huafu Fashion, was placed on the United States' Entity List in May 2020 over alleged human rights violations and abuses.
WEI LYNN TANG Aksu City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region "Business seems to be as usual here inside Huafu's facility. The company was severely hit by US sanctions on China's cotton crop."
But I was mostly keen to observe working conditions inside the factory. 7,000 employees work here. 95 percent, I was told, belong to ethnic minorities, mostly Uygurs. Timing was rather tight. A Han ethnic lady, one of a handful in this factory, caught my eye.
YANG GUANXIU Employee, Aksu Huafu Textiles "This role is pretty tough. It isn't easy to earn money."
Yang turns 50 this year. She's worked in this factory for eight years – her longest ever job. She said she heard from other people that the salary is decent here, and that's why she came here to work. If she weren't employed here, I asked her what else she'd do.
YANG GUANXIU Employee, Aksu Huafu Textiles "If not for this job, well, we aren't very educated and cultured, so we can only take on jobs like these. Whatever orders we have, we have to finish them. In one shift, I can 'wrap' over 300 yarns like these."
Just footsteps away, a Uygur man hard at work caught my eye. Just like Yang, he told me he got this job via a recruitment ad. And that it's voluntary.
ABDUREHIM MAMAT Employee, Aksu Huafu Textiles "I've worked here for 10 years. I work up to six days a week and earn about 4,500 yuan a month."
Abdurehim says he used to be a farmer, and didn't earn much. Both he and his wife work in the factory, and live just minutes way. They count for 30 percent of employees who live outside the factory's quarters.
LI QIANG General Manager, Aksu Huafu Textiles "Our equipment is very advanced. So you could say what we require from our staff members is more flexible. After basic training, they can master the equipment in one to three months time and quickly start work."
Huafu Fashion has been around for 27 years. Li says the company made a net loss for the very first time last year, mostly due to US sanctions and the COVID-19 pandemic.
LI QIANG General Manager, Aksu Huafu Textiles "But our profits are gradually recovering, almost to the levels we had before we were placed on the entity list. Previously, a majority of our business came from foreign brands. Now we've turned that ratio around to domestic Chinese brands."
Li says his factory produced over 90 thousand tons of cotton yarn in 2020. That's expected to hit 120-thousand this year, and rise to 160-thousand tons in 2022 – an almost 70 percent jump in just two years.
Tens of thousands of colored yarns are churned out in this factory every year, before they are supplied to garment factories and turned into clothes. But Western brands such as H&M and Adidas no longer source the cotton from this factory.
Aksu Huafu Textiles, part of Shenzhen-listed Huafu Fashion, was placed on the United States' Entity List in May 2020 over alleged human rights violations and abuses.
WEI LYNN TANG Aksu City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region "Business seems to be as usual here inside Huafu's facility. The company was severely hit by US sanctions on China's cotton crop."
But I was mostly keen to observe working conditions inside the factory. 7,000 employees work here. 95 percent, I was told, belong to ethnic minorities, mostly Uygurs. Timing was rather tight. A Han ethnic lady, one of a handful in this factory, caught my eye.
YANG GUANXIU Employee, Aksu Huafu Textiles "This role is pretty tough. It isn't easy to earn money."
Yang turns 50 this year. She's worked in this factory for eight years – her longest ever job. She said she heard from other people that the salary is decent here, and that's why she came here to work. If she weren't employed here, I asked her what else she'd do.
YANG GUANXIU Employee, Aksu Huafu Textiles "If not for this job, well, we aren't very educated and cultured, so we can only take on jobs like these. Whatever orders we have, we have to finish them. In one shift, I can 'wrap' over 300 yarns like these."
Just footsteps away, a Uygur man hard at work caught my eye. Just like Yang, he told me he got this job via a recruitment ad. And that it's voluntary.
ABDUREHIM MAMAT Employee, Aksu Huafu Textiles "I've worked here for 10 years. I work up to six days a week and earn about 4,500 yuan a month."
Abdurehim says he used to be a farmer, and didn't earn much. Both he and his wife work in the factory, and live just minutes way. They count for 30 percent of employees who live outside the factory's quarters.
LI QIANG General Manager, Aksu Huafu Textiles "Our equipment is very advanced. So you could say what we require from our staff members is more flexible. After basic training, they can master the equipment in one to three months time and quickly start work."
Huafu Fashion has been around for 27 years. Li says the company made a net loss for the very first time last year, mostly due to US sanctions and the COVID-19 pandemic.
LI QIANG General Manager, Aksu Huafu Textiles "But our profits are gradually recovering, almost to the levels we had before we were placed on the entity list. Previously, a majority of our business came from foreign brands. Now we've turned that ratio around to domestic Chinese brands."
Li says his factory produced over 90 thousand tons of cotton yarn in 2020. That's expected to hit 120-thousand this year, and rise to 160-thousand tons in 2022 – an almost 70 percent jump in just two years.