Graphic by Chris Quintana
The fight over fast fashion's knockoffs and sweatshops played out in courtrooms and comment sections for years. This summer it moved to the ports.
In July, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative imposed Section 301 tariffs on 60 economies over forced labor in their supply chains. The broad action places responsibility for tackling the global issue on the countries and businesses, according to Laura Murphy, senior associate in the Human Rights Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The 60 economies have not addressed forced labor in supply chains covered by the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act of 2021. Fifteen countries have committed to enforcing the act and face a lower tariff. Products tied to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwestern China are produced, manufactured, mined or farmed with forced labor, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Section 301 tariffs imposed on 60 countries for failing to enforce forced labor import bans | ustr.gov
Chinese e-commerce platforms have been accused of copying and stealing designs. A racketeering lawsuit against Shein aims to stop intellectual property theft, but designers say when one dupe has been shut down, three more take its place. Fast fashion’s speed-and-price model has hurt the domestic fashion industry, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is employing more tools to help.
The USDA launched the Great American Cotton Plan in May to support cotton growers and manufacturers. They can receive tax breaks, facility upgrade rebates, and other financial and marketing support under the new plan. The plan aims to make U.S. cotton products more affordable for consumers, fashion designers and manufacturers while protecting farmers from risk.
“USDA will continue coordinating with industry stakeholders, manufacturers, cotton growers, retailers, and Congress to advance policies that strengthen the cotton supply chain from the field to the fabric,” the department wrote in a press release.
Tracking anticompetitive forced-labor supply chains is enforceable, Murphy said, but requires several tools like tariffs, border seizures and laws.
CBP has detained 26,000 shipments of products suspected of being made with forced labor since 2022. About 18% were textiles. Enforcement of the act has declined and only a fraction of shipments have been detained, Murphy said, but it’s progress nonetheless.
Caption: U.S. Customs & Border Protection textile shipments detained since the UFLPA was enacted in 2021 | CPB.gov
Forced-labor supply chains also used the de minimis shipping loophole before it was closed in 2025. Packages valued under $800 were allowed to enter the U.S. duty-free. CBP collected nearly $1 billion from duties in 2025 from closing the loophole.
The tools targeting international competition and domestic supply may provide opportunities for domestic designers and manufacturers, but the change will be slow, said Katie Yasik, a textile graduate student and researcher at the University of Delaware.