Shein has said it found two cases of child labour at suppliers last year.
The fast fashion giant said it temporarily suspended orders from the suppliers concerned until they had addressed the issue, the BBC reported.
The revelation came as Shein considers an IPO in London, having grown rapidly over the last few years as shoppers look for affordable fashion amid the cost-of-living crisis.
The disclosure was made in Shein’s latest sustainability report and follows concerns previously expressed by campaigners and politicians about conditions in the retailer’s supply chain.
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Shein said: “Both cases were resolved swiftly, with remediation steps including terminating contracts with underage employees, ensuring the payment of any outstanding wages, arranging medical checkups and facilitating repatriation to parents/legal guardians as needed.
“Following appropriate remediation, the contract manufacturers were permitted to resume business.”
Following the discovery of the cases, the business has enhanced its supplier policies. Any child labour or forced labour violations can now lead to the immediate termination of supplier contracts.
The BBC reported that the violations were identified during the first nine months of 2023 while no cases were uncovered in the final quarter of the year.
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