US Edition‘Let Us See the Audits’: Kmart Faces Legal Battle over Alleged Links to Uyghur Forced Labour
AUSTRALIA, AUG 5 – The case challenges Kmart's ethical sourcing claims amid allegations linking two suppliers to Uyghur forced labour in Xinjiang, where $27 billion of goods at risk enter Australia annually.
- A Uyghur advocacy group based in Australia has initiated Federal Court proceedings against Kmart in 2024-2025, accusing the retailer of sourcing products from two factories in Xinjiang linked to forced labor.
- This move comes amid increasing allegations from international organizations and the United Nations that China is committing crimes against humanity and genocide through the coercion of Uyghur labor in Xinjiang.
- Kmart denies the allegations and states it has maintained an Ethical Sourcing Program for over 15 years that regularly monitors suppliers through audits and investigations.
- The legal case demands Kmart produce documents proving due diligence and transparency, testing whether it engaged in misleading conduct about ethical sourcing claims.
- The case underscores gaps in Australia’s current modern slavery legislation, prompting demands for more robust laws similar to those in the US and Canada to stop goods produced with forced labour from entering the Australian market.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Australian Uyghurs launch legal action against Kmart over alleged forced labour links
The Australian Uyghur Women’s Association has launched legal action to compel major retailer Kmart to produce documents showing it is not knowingly sourcing products from factories with links to forced labour. Kmart denies this and says their Ethical Sourcing Program works to mitigate risks of forced labour, but the group says they must produce the documents to prove it.
Sydney Morning Herald
‘Let us see the audits’: Kmart faces legal battle over alleged links to Uyghur forced labour
Australia’s most beloved department store has been served with a court challenge to provide documentation on whether it has examined links to factories using forced labour in Xinjiang.
Kmart in Legal Crosshairs Over Suspected Ties to China’s Forced Labour Camps
An Adelaide-based Uyghur group is taking Australian retail giant Kmart to court for allegedly sourcing its products from factories connected to forced labour camps in China. The Australian Uyghur Tangritagh Women’s Association (AUTWA) filed its application in the Federal Court to compel Kmart to produce documents demonstrating what it knows about two clothing suppliers listed on its 2024 and 2025 factory lists with links to the Xinjiang Uyghur A…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
