Correspondence
Email sent to the contact address for the media team at Carrefour Poland.
The email said: "We’re contacting you in light of our latest investigation which concerns the use of forced labor in China’s seafood processing industry, specifically North Korean workers in Chinese plants.
We have investigators on the ground in China who have been engaging with labor brokers directly involved with the transfer of North Korean workers to factories in China. Through this and other investigative means, including collecting online footage from the plants and interviews with workers recently returned to North Korea from China, we’ve found large numbers of North Korean workers at a range of seafood processing plants in Liaoning province, on China’s border with North Korea. These include plants belonging to companies called Dalian Haiqing Food, Donggang Haimeng Foodstuff and Dandong Hailong Foodstuff.
According to trade records seen by The Outlaw Ocean Project, Abramczyk Sp. Z O.O. was the consignee for shipments of seafood from Dalian Haiqing, Donggang Haimeng and Dandong Hailong in 2021.
The use of overseas North Korean workers was prohibited by the United Nations Security Council in 2017, with Resolution 2397 setting a deadline of December 2019 for the repatriation of all such workers to North Korea. Under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), passed in 2017, the United States prohibits the import of any goods produced by North Korean nationals unless clear and convincing evidence is provided that indicates the materials were not made with forced labor.
Packaging analysis shows that pollock (‘Abramczyk Mintaj’) stocked by Carrefour Poland has been supplied by Abramczyk Sp. Z O.O.
In light of the above, we have some questions for you:
- While we understand that you may not be aware of the above issues, we want to ask if Carrefour Poland has any comment to make in response to this email?
- Can you confirm or deny if Carrefour Poland has been supplied any products from Dalian Haiqing, Donggang Haimeng or Dandong Hailong by Abramczyk Sp. Z O.O.?"
Carrefour Poland replied: "Thank you for your email. We will check this situation and get back to you with the answers asap."
Carrefour Poland's Press Office emailed: "Thank you for your email. Please find attached the statement of Carrefour Poland answering your questions."
The attached statement said: "Following your email, we have contacted our business partner - Abramczyk sp. z o.o. asking for the necessary information in order to clarify this situation. In response, we received the company's position, in which Abramczyk sp. z o.o. declares that the company is not a recipient of any seafood deliveries from Chinese producers. The seafood is purchased by this company directly from India, Vietnam, Chile and Argentina.
Abramczyk sp. z o.o. after tracing its supply chains, has informed us that the suppliers mentioned in your email are producers of pollock and that one of them supplied deliveries of this product to Carrefour Poland in 2024.
Abramczyk sp. z o.o. has assured us that the foundation of its cooperation with producers, are based on the positive audits of entities producing raw materials for Abramczyk sp. z o.o. What’s more, its current manufacturer, DalianHaiqing Food Co. Ltd, denied the allegations mentioned in your email as they’re against the Chinese Law, while the company itself helds a SMETA and BSCI certificates. Abramczyk sp. z o.o. has also confirmed that it has not cooperated with Donggang Haimeng and Dandong Hailong since 2022.
Abramczyk sp. z o.o. has assured us that it monitors his suppliers of raw materials and situation on an ongoing basis.
Carrefour Poland acts in accordance with the principles of social responsibility, being aware of the impact of this activity not only on the economic but also the social environment. We select our suppliers with due care, taking into account not only the high level of the products they offer, but also look if they’re guided by the principles of social responsibility and operate ethically and transparently. If we have justified doubts regarding the contractor, we assess the appropriateness of starting or continuing cooperation with a given supplier."
The Outlaw Ocean Project responded: "Thank you for your statement and sharing those details from your supplier. A couple of points were unclear to us, which we’d like to clarify with you.
In your statement, you note: "Abramczyk sp. z o.o. declares that the company is not a recipient of any seafood deliveries from Chinese producers. The seafood is purchased by this company directly from India, Vietnam, Chile and Argentina. Abramczyk sp. z o.o. after tracing its supply chains, has informed us that the suppliers mentioned in your email are producers of pollock and that one of them supplied deliveries of this product to Carrefour Poland in 2024." Could you clarify what is meant by saying that Abramczyk is not a recipient of any seafood deliveries from Chinese producers, but also that Abramczyk did source pollock from one of these Chinese companies and supplied deliveries of that product to Carrefour Poland in 2024?
Can you also clarify which of the three companies (Dalian Haiqing, Donggang Haimeng, Dandong Hailong) was confirmed to have supplied pollock products which were delivered to Carrefour Poland in 2024?"