Shein
Partly verified✓ Checks its own supply chain. Shein actively looks for problems such as child or forced labour, publishes what it finds and works to fix it. That openness is uncommon, so problems it finds and reports itself are shown below but don't count against its grade.
Shein raises serious concerns: there are reports of forced or child labour in its supply chain, and there are documented abuses of workers. Shein disclosed two cases of child labour at its suppliers in 2023 and two more in 2024, one involving a child aged 11 (Shein disclosures reported by The Fashion Law, 2024, and City AM, 2025).
Last researched 7 October 2026
Not doing enough. Workers in the supply chain are likely underpaid, unprotected or in danger, and in the worst cases face forced or child labour. Look for a better-graded alternative. What this grade means
Good: 0 of 5
- Pays a living wage
- Respects worker rights
- Full supply chain audit, or made only in countries with rigorous labour standards
- No child or forced labour findings
- Publishes where its products are made (supplier list, named farms or its own factories)
Great: 1 of 3
- Pays beyond a living wage
- Finds and fixes problems, or invests directly in workers' communities
- Actively empowers workers
Needs all Good requirements plus two of these.
Red flags: 5
- Does not pay a living wage
- Clear breaches of labour conditions
- Hidden or unaudited supply chain (no certification or documentation, or major production in countries with poor worker rights without independent audits)
- Instances of forced, slave or child labour
- Failing or very low scores on independent ratings
Where it's made
| Country | Worker rights | Legal wages | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China 90% | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Türkiye 5% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| Brazil 5% | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Country conditions from the ITUC Global Rights Index, Global Slavery Index and living wage benchmarks. Certifications and audits can raise a company above its countries' baseline.
Why this grade
- Cotton is linked to forced labour (Xinjiang, Turkmenistan) and child labour in several growing regions.
- Modern slavery statement
- Reports child labour cases found and fixed
- Low or failing score on an independent rating
Shein makes most of its clothing through thousands of small contract workshops in and around Guangzhou, China, with some production in Brazil and Türkiye. It does not publish a supplier list. It reports large numbers of supplier audits (about 4,300 in 2024) and publishes child labour cases found, but independent investigations keep finding very long hours and low base pay, and it has no living wage commitment or plan.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Found | Scored 20 out of 100 in the 2024 Ethical Fashion Report, against an average of 31. View ↗ |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Found | Scored 7% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, against an average of 26%. View ↗ |
| Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (World Benchmarking Alliance) | Found | Scored 3.8% in the 2023 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark, among the lowest in apparel. View ↗ |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Found | Lodged a joint modern slavery statement covering its Australian and UK entities for calendar year 2024. View ↗ |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Found | Its UK entity is covered by the joint 2024 modern slavery statement. View ↗ |
| US forced-labour import bans (UFLPA Entity List, CBP Withhold Release Orders) | Not listed | Not on the UFLPA Entity List as of late 2025, despite repeated requests from US lawmakers to add it. View ↗ |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Found | Tracks multiple investigations into Shein suppliers, including the BBC's 2025 report of 75-hour working weeks, with company comment. View ↗ |
| Open Supply Hub | Unclear | Shein does not publish a supplier list, so its factories are not openly mapped. View ↗ |
Confirmed issues
Problems confirmed by a court, regulator, completed investigation or the company itself. Issues more than 15 years old, or 10–15 years old where the company made amends, are removed. Problems a company finds and publishes itself, and is fixing, are shown but don't count against it.
| When | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Investigations by Public Eye (2021 and 2024) and the BBC (2025) found workers at Shein's Guangzhou suppliers working around 75 hours a week, with basic pay below the local minimum wage once overtime is excluded. | Not known |
| 2024 | Shein disclosed two cases of child labour at its suppliers in 2023 and two more in 2024, one involving a child aged 11 (Shein disclosures reported by The Fashion Law, 2024, and City AM, 2025). | Not known |
| 2022 | Bloomberg lab tests in 2022 found Xinjiang cotton in Shein garments, and Shein acknowledged that about 2% of its cotton tested positive for unapproved origin (Just Style, 2022). | Not known |
| 2022 | An audit commissioned by Shein after a Channel 4 documentary confirmed that two supplier sites broke Chinese working-hour law, with 12.5 to 13.5 hour days and few days off (Fortune, 2022). | Not known |
| 2021 | Shein falsely claimed its factories were certified to SA8000 and ISO standards, which the standard owners said was untrue (Reuters via Business of Fashion, 2021). | Not known |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- A 2025 China Labor Watch report described excessive hours, piece-rate pay without overtime premiums and possible Xinjiang textile sourcing at Shein supplier workshops (summarised by Good Shopping Guide Australia, 2025). Source ↗
Sources (12)
- Shein Reports Child Labor in Supply Chain as Global Scrutiny Increases (The Fashion Law) · archived copy · Two child labour cases found at suppliers in 2023; audit numbers; remediation steps
- Child labour cases once again found in Shein's supply chain (City AM) · archived copy · Two child labour cases in 2024, one aged 11; about 4,300 audits covering 317,000 workers
- Shein reports two cases of child labour in 2024 (BusinessDay) · archived copy · 2024 child labour cases and supplier termination
- US Congress member seeks investigation into Shein over Xinjiang cotton sourcing (Just Style) · archived copy · Bloomberg tests found Xinjiang cotton; Shein said 2% of cotton tested positive for unapproved origin
- Report: Shein 75-hour week still the norm says Public Eye (RetailBoss) · archived copy · Public Eye 2024 follow-up: 75-hour weeks; base pay below Guangzhou minimum wage
- China: BBC investigation reveals Shein suppliers' workers face 75-hour work weeks (BHRRC) · archived copy · BBC January 2025 visit to 10 factories: about 75-hour weeks and low base wages
- Shein factory investigation finds breached local labor law (Fortune) · archived copy · Shein-commissioned audit confirmed working-hour breaches at two sites; US$15m improvement pledge
- Chinese retailer Shein lacks disclosures, made false statements on factories (Business of Fashion) · archived copy · False SA8000 and ISO certification claims
- SHEIN Modern Slavery Statement 2024 (Australian Modern Slavery Register) · archived copy · Joint UK/Australia statement; production mainly in China plus Brazil and Türkiye; 4,288 audits in 2024
- 2024 Ethical Fashion Report reveals Temu and Shein fall short (BHRRC) · archived copy · Shein scored 20/100 in the 2024 Ethical Fashion Report
- Shein (Good Shopping Guide Australia) · archived copy · Fashion Transparency Index 2023 score of 7%; CHRB 2023 score of 3.8%; 2025 China Labor Watch report
- Xinjiang Cotton, De Minimis Shipments, and the UFLPA Entity List: Why Shein Still Isn't There (Fashion Law Journal) · archived copy · Shein not on the UFLPA Entity List as of late 2025
Last researched 7 October 2026 · details still being verified. Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Represent this company and think something is wrong? A right-of-reply form is coming soon.