Correspondence
Email sent to Jason Levine, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Foodirect.
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 – Dandong Hailong Foodstuff.
According to our research, C & D International Fishery provides QF-branded squid products to Foodirect. Trade data seen by The Outlaw Ocean Project shows that C&D International Fishery Inc. was the consignee for multiple shipments of seafood from the Chinese company Dandong Hailong Foodstuff since 2019.
We have uncovered evidence that Dandong Hailong Foodstuff 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 Dandong Hailong Foodstuff’s factory in Liaoning, China, as recently as 2023. Furthermore, under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), passed in 2017, the U.S. 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.
While we understand that you may not be aware of the above issues, we wish to ask: does Foodirect have any comment to make in response to this email?"