Canada’s corporate watchdog is investigating Walmart (WMT) and Hugo Boss (HUGPF) over allegations of Uyghur forced labor in those companies’ global supply chains.
The Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) said it has begun a probe after receiving complaints filed by a coalition of 28 civil society organizations.
CORE has already launched probes into Nike (NKE) and Ralph Lauren (RL) over similar allegations about forced labour.
In March, the United Nations (U.N.) said it was concerned about China’s treatment of its Muslim minority, the Uyghurs, who are believed to be used as of forced labour throughout the country.
China denies that it persecutes the Uyghurs or uses them as forced labour.
CORE was launched in 2019 to investigate human rights abuses in the corporate sector, mainly by Canadian garment, mining, and oil and gas companies that have overseas operations.
Walmart’s stock has gained 15% over the last 12 months and currently trades at $156.89 U.S. per share.
