Cotton: Xinjiang
(asked on 21st May 2021) - View Source
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions he has had with the UK Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on the effect of widespread forced labour in the Xinjiang cotton industry on the global cotton industry; and what steps he plans to take to raise that matter at the upcoming discussion on trade-related matters affecting cotton at the WTO.
The United Kingdom has taken a leading international role in holding China to account for its violations of rights and responsibilities in Xinjiang.
The Secretary of State for International Trade was in Geneva on 29th and 30th March where she met the United Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and they spoke about a range of International issues.
The United Kingdom is committed to ongoing discussions on cotton and trade related matters at the WTO. We recognise the importance of reform to the global cotton market, which will benefit the most vulnerable in particular.