These companies are all members of the Better Cotton Initiative, a Switzerland-based organization that decided to suspend cooperation with licensed farmers in Xinjiang during the 2020-2021 cotton season over persistent allegations of forced labor in the region, the organization said in March last year.

According to its official website, the organization has 2,100 members worldwide, of which nearly 500 are from China, including five retailers and brands and 485 suppliers and manufacturers.

About 67 percent of the cotton produced in Xinjiang is used domestically, as China is the largest cotton consumer in the world, the China Grain Reserves Group said.