Fast Retailing, the business that owns Uniqlo, is reportedly the latest fashion brand to stop sourcing from Myanmar due to human rights concerns following the military coup of 2021.
According to a report from Japan’s top financial news outlet Nikkei Asia, the Japanese company has removed the suppliers from that country from its list of garment and processing factories.
Moreover, Fast Retailing will no longer source jackets and shirts for GU, another of its trademark brand, starting with items for the fall/winter 2023 season.
However, the exit from Myanmar will have a limited impact on Fast Retailing, as it has over 400 manufacturing partners worldwide in such countries as China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.
Following the military takeover in February 2021, Myanmar’s garment industry is still struggling to continue effective operations since the takeover.
It has continued to harm the country’s economy, especially those sectors heavily dependent on international trade, such as the garment industry.
Towards the end of last year, M&S and Primark were among brands announcing they would be ending their apparel sourcing relationships with partners in the country.
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