The veteran-owned clothing brand says it discovered one of its suppliers uses cotton from the slave labor region
A clothing brand owned by veterans has notified one of its suppliers after it allegedly used cotton from a slave labor region in China.
Tyler Merritt, veteran and CEO of Nine Line Apparel, joined Fox & Friends to share why he isotopically tests fabrics to determine where they come from and why he wants his products to be sustainably sourced .
“It’s very similar to a DNA test. So isotopes from a region in Xinjiang, China are being compared. This is a region where people are forced to work indefinitely for the simple fact of being born Muslim. So we test this material. And we identified the clothing company Next Level, which goes by the name of YS Garments. That’s the country…the importer…you know, that matched Xinjiang cotton, not just once, but a second time when we tested it on another batch, another batch from a different distribution center also came back as consistent “, he said.
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According to the US Labor Department, the Chinese Communist Party is reportedly using Xinjiang, a northwestern region of China, to hold Uyghur Muslims in detention camps and force them into forced labor conditions.
Merritt said his company tested the fabric from other suppliers, but he didn’t have the “match for this slave region.”
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He added that he spoke to the CEO of Next Level, a wholesaler of blank clothing manufacturers and sellers, who told him the company had a “zero-tolerance policy” on forced labor but didn’t “actually spell it out.” got what that means”.
“And that’s what I’m doing here. You know, her attorneys approached me weekly and monthly and told me to stop testing, they basically had it under control. They will.” “Run tests from now on and they will manage themselves. But that’s unacceptable to me,” Merrit told co-host Pete Hegseth.
Nine Line Apparel Veteran and CEO Tyler Merritt explains why he wants his products to be sustainably sourced.
Next Level told Fox News in a statement, “Forced labor is considered a zero-tolerance issue and all confirmed instances of forced labor by our suppliers in factories and factories that produce garments, accessories or fabrics or use cotton grown in Xinjiang may occur. “ lead to the termination of the business relationship.”
Merritt said he would encourage other companies to find out where their products are made.
“I take products like Next Level and rebrand them not only for myself but also for our partners. I do private label for some of my military units. I do this for church groups and school groups that my kids go to. And much more.” of people are unaware that their products may have come from the slave trade. And these are church organizations or school groups where people who, as you know, visit my shops are extremely patriotic. And we want at least ethical sourcing,” he said.
A perimeter fence officially known as a vocational training center will be erected in Dabancheng, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China, 4 September 2018. Located between the regional capital of Urumqi and the tourist resort of Turpan, this center is one of the largest known centers. and was still under construction and extension at the time the photo was taken. Police in Dabancheng detained two Reuters journalists for more than four hours after the photos were taken. Picture taken on September 4, 2018. (REUTERS/Thomas Peter)
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“We pay attention to US-made products, right? This hoodie is made in the USA. This shirt is made in the USA. Our product range is very wide and robust with US made options but you have to pay people at least in South America, Central America and Asia. It’s a minimal ethical standard. I think everyone can stand behind it. The CEOs of the companies I work with have made a commitment to that,” he said.
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