'Ssakdook Ssakdook' Uniqlo Causing a Stir in China... See What the Chairman Said

Uniqlo Chairman's Statement "No Xinjiang Cotton"
China Shows Signs of Uniqlo Boycott
Greater China Imports Account for 20% of Total

The boycott movement against Uniqlo has begun in China. China 'Baidu'

When the clothing brand Uniqlo stated that it "does not use cotton from the Xinjiang region of China," a 'Uniqlo boycott movement' began to emerge within China.

On the 2nd (local time), many netizens, including famous Chinese influencers, criticized Uniqlo through local social networking services (SNS). Some people even posted videos of themselves cutting or tearing Uniqlo products with scissors, declaring that they would join the boycott movement.

Earlier, Yanai, chairman of Fast Retailing, Uniqlo's parent company, said in an interview broadcast on the BBC on the 30th of last month, "(Uniqlo) does not use cotton from the western region of China, which the U.S. has restricted trade with due to human rights issues." Yanai's remarks spread on Chinese SNS and became a subject of controversy, with some local commentators calling for a boycott of Uniqlo. According to Bloomberg, Fast Retailing's stock price on the Tokyo Stock Exchange fell by 4.4% that day.

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A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said at a regular briefing that day, "Cotton from the Xinjiang region is among the best cotton in the world," and added, "We hope related companies will make independent and autonomous business decisions that align with their interests, free from political pressure and interference." In response, Fast Retailing stated that it is "carefully monitoring how the situation develops, including demand decline and the spread of the boycott movement." As of the end of September, Uniqlo operates 2,509 stores worldwide, with 1,031 stores located in the Greater China region, including China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. It is known that Uniqlo's revenue from the Greater China region accounts for 20% of its total income.

Meanwhile, cotton from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was once regarded as some of the highest quality in the world, but allegations of forced labor involving the local ethnic minority Uygur people during the production process have sparked human rights controversies. The Chinese government has consistently denied these claims, but the United States began banning imports of products from the Xinjiang region starting in 2022. Famous brands such as Adidas and Nike also joined the boycott and experienced backlash. Subsequently, in September, China announced plans to investigate the American fashion company PVH for allegedly deliberately not using Xinjiang cotton. PVH is the parent company operating brands such as Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger.