Correspondence
Email sent to the contact address for Abartes Trading.
The email said: "I’m contacting you in light of our latest investigation which concerns the use of forced labor in China’s seafood processing industry, and a link we’ve discovered between a company engaged in such practices and your supply chain – Donggang Jinhui Foodstuff Co. Ltd. We have uncovered evidence that Donggang Jinhui has used North Korean labor after the December 2019 deadline for the repatriation of overseas North Korean workers required under United Nations Security Council sanctions. This evidence shows North Korean labor at Donggang Jinhui’s plant in Liaoning, China, as recently as 2023. According to trade records seen by The Outlaw Ocean Project, Abartes Trading Inc. was the consignee for multiple shipments of seafood from Donggang Jinhui since December 2019. While we understand that you may not be aware of the above issues, we want to ask if Abartes Trading has any comment to make in response to this email?"