Forced Labor Takes Center Stage in Trade Policy
This piece was originally published in Sourcing Journal on 3-24-26. By Tara Winter Recent headlines have made one thing clear: forced labor has officially entered the trade war. The Trump administration’s move to investigate 60 trading partners for forced labor under Section 301 of the Trade Act—with the potential to impose tariffs—marks a turning point. What […]
Transparentem Statement on USTR Section 301 Forced Labor Investigations
Yesterday, the U.S. Trade Representative initiated forced labor investigations into 60 of the United States’ largest trading partners under Section 301 of the Trade Act, a trade enforcement tool historically used to levy tariffs. The stated rationale for the investigations is to determine if those partners have failed to prevent the import of goods produced […]
Transparentem Statement on the Taiwan Textile Federation’s Announcement Urging an Employer Pays Principle
Transparentem welcomes the Taiwan Textile Federation’s recommendation released yesterday urging Taiwanese textile mills to protect migrant workers in the industry through responsible recruitment and employment. This is a critical step toward reducing recruitment abuse and forced labor risks in the industry and advancing protections for foreign migrant workers. We look forward to the Taiwanese Ministry […]
Control Yuan launches probe into alleged forced labor highlighted by NGO
Taipei, Oct. 28 The Control Yuan, Taiwan’s top government watchdog, has launched a probe into possible acts of forced labor involving migrant workers in the country’s textile industry, outlined in a report published in February by United States-based NGO Transparentem.
Transparentem Welcomes Tara Winter as Executive Director
Accomplished international labor and human rights leader Tara Winter joins Transparentem as Executive Director, effective September 2, 2025. She takes over from Founder E. Benjamin Skinner, who has served as Transparentem’s President since its inception in 2015. “This is an important moment in Transparentem’s history. As we celebrate our 10th anniversary and look to the […]
Going Backward Was the Biggest Trend of 2023
Skinny models. White male designers. Shoulder pads. This year, fashion failed on many of its promises.
Watch Transparentem’s Virtual Side Session from the 9th OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector
On February 14, Transparentem hosted a virtual side event on migrant worker rights, as part of the 9th OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector. At the event, Transparentem discussed findings and outcomes from three of our investigations in Malaysia and recommendations for further improvements to protect workers’ rights–in Malaysia and […]
Transparentem Virtual Side Session: Mitigating Forced Labor Risk among Migrant Workers in Apparel Production
The 9th OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector will take place on 16 – 17 February 2023 both virtually and in person at the OECD Conference Centre in Paris. The OECD Garment Forum is accompanied by a vibrant agenda of side sessions organized by partner. Transparentem is pleased to present […]
‘Effectively and Systematically Gamed’: Why Audits Need an Overhaul
As an inferno ravaged a five-story footwear factory in southern Thailand last week, leaving massive cracks in the blackened walls that had firefighters fearing the building’s collapse, human-rights experts are debating the limits of social audits, particularly in the context of voluntary due diligence in global supply chains.
Human Rights Watch Report on the Shortcomings of Social Audits
Human Rights Watch’s new report on the shortfalls of social audits was released this week: ‘Obsessed with Audit Tools, Missing the Goal’: Why Social Audits Can’t Fix Labor Rights Abuses in Global Supply Chains. It provides recommendations for policymakers and regulators to better hold companies, as well as auditors and certifiers, accountable for human rights […]