SHEIN takes visibility across our entire supply chain seriously, and we are committed to respecting human rights and adhering to local laws in each market we operate in. Our suppliers must adhere to a strict code of conduct that is aligned to the International Labour Organization’s core conventions. We have zero tolerance for forced labor.
Our suppliers are based in regions including Brazil, Southern China and Turkey. We have no suppliers in the Xinjiang Region.
SHEIN does not own or operate any manufacturing facilities. Instead, we work with a network of third-party manufacturing partners to make products that bear the SHEIN brand. To manage our network of third-party manufacturing suppliers of SHEIN branded products, we have developed and implemented robust policies, which address a range of issues from source of raw materials, to forced labor, to workplace safety, ensuring that we comply with laws and regulations of each market we operate in.
SHEIN Supplier Code of Conduct
Suppliers working with SHEIN must agree to abide by our Supplier Code of Conduct. The Code prohibits the use of forced labor as one of its core principles, and outlines clear requirements regarding the payment of wages, the ban on unreasonable restrictions, as well as workplace health and safety and environmental standards.
SHEIN Responsible Sourcing (SRS) Audit Program
The SRS Program establishes clear definitions and criteria for Code violations, including remedy procedures and, where warranted, penalties. We audit our manufacturing partners to ensure compliance with our Responsible Sourcing Policy. These regular audits are unannounced and conducted by third-party agencies such as lntertek and SGS. Zero-Tolerance Violations (“ZTVs”) involving the use of forced labor are treated very seriously. Under the SRS Program, we suspend suspected violators, and if remediation is not undertaken to our satisfaction within 30 days we will terminate the supplier.
SHEIN prefers education and remediation of suppliers with violations as a first step before termination, for two reasons. First, this protects the wider fashion ecosystem by educating suppliers who also make products for other brands. Second, this approach protects workers and their livelihoods.
Traceability System
To further enhance our compliance with U.S. laws, manufacturing suppliers are only allowed to source cotton from the U.S., India, Brazil, Australia and other approved regions, such as Bangladesh, Tanzania, and Pakistan.
Cotton from the U.S., India, Brazil and Australia make up approximately 95% of all cotton sourced for SHEIN branded products. SHEIN has developed a proprietary material traceability information management system, which integrates supply chain documentation required from yarn, fabric and finished product suppliers.
This gives us visibility over the entire production process – from raw cotton, to yarn, to fabric, to finished garment. Suppliers who fail to provide certificates of origin for cotton made into fabric are not allowed to supply to SHEIN.
Oritain Partnership for Cotton Origin Validation Testing
Our cotton traceability system is bolstered by third-party cotton sample testing. Yarn and fabric samples are collected by third-party agencies and sent to Oritain, a global leader in stable-isotope analysis of cotton products and fibers. Using this established forensic science, Oritain measures stable carbon, nitrogen, and other elements found in tested samples, and then compares those measurements against its library of geographically distinct “fingerprints” to determine the origin of a particular sample. This allows SHEIN to confirm the geographic origin of the cotton its suppliers use.
Oritain has developed these “fingerprints” for over 90% of the world’s cotton-producing regions to date. This allows brands, manufacturers, consumers, and regulators alike to have a high degree of confidence that Oritain’s findings on the origin of the cotton are scientifically reliable.
Customs Compliance
Like our SRS Program, SHEIN utilizes technology and its in-house expertise to comply with relevant customs laws and regulations. SHEIN’s in-house customs team uses a Customs Compliance Guide drawn from a global list of customs laws and regulations to comply with customs, shipping, and commerce laws on a global scale.
