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GARMENT COMPANIES SOURCING IN CHINA
(Clean Clothes Campaign - August 1997)
China is on it's way becomming the worlds largest garment exporter; all investors want to go there because of the low labour costs.About 15 million people work in China's garment and textile industry. China is the biggest exporter of clothes and textiles to the European and North-American market. With Hong Kong as a part of China, onefifth of the garmentexports come from China. Foreign investors are interested in China because of the very low wages. They don't care abourt labourrights or take only reponsability for it on paper.
A large amount of European companies are buying clothes from Chinese factories. A few wellknown companies which have subsidiaries in Europe are: Makro, Puma, Disney, V & D, Marks & Spencer, Otto, Reebok, C & A, Wrangler, Kreymborg, Peek & Cloppenburg, Neckermann, Nike, Adidas, Hennes & Mauritz, and M & S mode.
In China:
K & L Rupert (german), BhS, Littlewoods, Debenhams, Burtons, Next, Makro,
Kaufhof, Horten, Kaufring,
KMT, Euretco, Puma, Acon SpA (Italian), Colona of Corona SpA (Italiaans),
Cortefiel (spanish), Laura
Ashley, Disney.
In the Shenzen zone:
Marks & Spencer, Otto Versand, Reebok, C&A, Wrangler (VF Corporation),
Kreymborg, Peek &
Cloppenburg.
In the Guangdong zone:
V & D, La Redoute, Manor (Swiss), Karstadt, Neckermann, Joseffson (Swedish),
Auchan, Decathlon,
Lapagayo, Fred Perry, Linea Promero (germany), Spring (spanish),Nike,
Adidas, H&M(swedish), M & S
Mode, Berghaus.
This isn't a complete list, but the result of limited research conducted in
1997. The real list is much longer;
Levi Strauss is the only company that on purpose doesn't produce in China
because of violations of human
rights.
A constantly increasing group of companies, like C & A, Reebok and Walt Disney, did draw up their own Codes of Conduct in respons of the increasing criticism of consumers. The biggest problem with these Codes is that they aren't monitored by independent organisations. Basic rights like a liveable wage and the right to form independent trade unions are hardly ever included in the Codes. The codes are often writen down in vague terms. Although the clean clothes Campaign has doubts about these company codes, the retaillers give us the guarantee that they respect basic human rights. They claim to respect national law as a minimum and to do often more. In the case of China this offers opportunities because on paper the national law isn't bad.
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