American retail trade groups are calling on Congress to introduce legislation to end forced labour in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region as the issue gains more international visibility.

Groups including the National Retail Federation, US Fashion Industry Association, and the American Apparel and Footwear Association sent a letter to House and Senate congressional leaders Wednesday.

“We must use all available tools to ensure goods made with forced labour inputs do not make their way to the United States,” the groups said.

They are also asking for a federal requirement that companies disclose how they are preventing forced labor and human trafficking in their supply chains.

By Peyton Forte