The Chinese fast-fashion online retailer Temu is under fire from US lawmakers for having an "extremely high risk" of using forced labor to produce its goods.
The allegations stem from a current investigation into compliance with a US law passed in 2021 that forbids the importation of goods produced using forced Uyghur labor.
Additionally under investigation are Shein, Nike, and Adidas.
Temu asserted that it had no control over independent sellers who made use of its marketplace.
A request for comment from the BBC was not met with any response.
Since it debuted in the US less than a year ago, the fast-fashion online retailer, backed by Chinese e-commerce behemoth Pinduoduo, has experienced an explosive rise in popularity.
The online retailer, which has more than 80,000 suppliers and is well-known for its extremely low prices, has consistently ranked among the top brands in Apple's app store.
Bloomberg reports that Shein, a competitor, had fewer sales in the US last month than it did. Shein overtook Shein to become the largest online-only retailer in the world in 2021.
The House Select Committee on the Chinese Community Party stated in its report that "American consumers should be aware that there is an extremely high risk that Temu's supply chains are tainted with forced labor.".
It claimed that although the business requests "code of conduct" adherence from suppliers, it relies on outside parties to report issues, branding the system as "dubious.".
Temu lacks a system to guarantee adherence to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). This practically ensures that Temu shipments containing goods produced through forced labor are entering the United States on a regular basis," it said.
As political tensions rise, the US has tightened its scrutiny of goods made in China. Under former president Donald Trump, the two nations started a trade war that resulted in tariffs worth billions of dollars, many of which are still in effect.
The US has also attempted to deny China access to particular chip technologies.
The US has expressed concerns in the past that Shein and Temu's explosive growth has been facilitated by "exploitation" of current US law, which exempts packages worth less than $800 from customs duties.
According to the report, the two companies jointly are in charge of shipping to the US daily close to 600,000 packages with a value of less than $800.
It calculated that Shein and Temu were responsible for more than 30% of all daily shipments that fell below the $800 mark.
