Facility

Xinjiang Cotton Belt (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region)

Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region cotton belt (primary production zones: Aksu Prefecture, Kashgar Prefecture, Khotan Prefecture, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture); produces ~85% of Chinese cotton output (~20% of global cotton supply). Xinjiang cotton is machine-picked (China adopted cotton-picking mechanization rapidly 2014-2020), high-staple, irrigated from snowmelt rivers and deep wells in the Tarim Basin. However, the region is subject to the US Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA, signed December 23 2021), which creates a rebuttable presumption that goods produced in Xinjiang contain forced labor — effectively banning Xinjiang cotton from US supply chains unless CBP inspection is cleared. EU, UK, and Canadian forced labor regulations similarly target Xinjiang inputs. Major international cotton merchants and apparel brands have significantly reduced or eliminated direct Xinjiang cotton sourcing since 2021. Source: USDA FAS Cotton 2024; CBP UFLPA enforcement data.