Cotton harvesting. Photo: news.trust.org
The European Union has adopted a law prohibiting the sale of raw materials and goods produced using forced labor within its territory. The document has been published on the official website of the EU Council.
The law aims to eliminate economic incentives that allow companies to profit from the exploitation of workers in their supply chains.
According to the International Labor Organization (ILO) data for 2022, about 17.3 million people worldwide are subjected to forced labor in the private sector. Another 3.9 million are victims of state-imposed forced labor in areas such as China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Turkmenistan, and North Korea. The United States banned Turkmen cotton back in 2018.
It should be noted that the volume of Turkmen cotton in EU markets is insignificant. In 2020, cotton was purchased for a sum of 18 million euros. According to 2023 data, Turkmenistan is not among the top ten suppliers of this raw material. However, Uzbekistan is present in the top 10 with a share of 2.17% ($65 million) in the total volume of cotton and cotton products imported by the European Union.
The main cotton suppliers to the EU remain Turkey, Pakistan, and India, which provide over 60% of the market.
