Correspondence
Email sent to ShopRites's parent company, Wakefern Food Corporation.
The email said: "I’m contacting you in light of our latest investigation which concerns the use of forced labor in China’s food processing industry, and a link we’ve discovered between companies engaged in such practices and one of your suppliers - High Liner Foods.
ShopRite stocks a range of High Liner white fish products.
High Liner has imported shipments of cod, pollock, haddock, yellowfin sole, ocean perch and flounder from Yantai Sanko Fisheries Co. Ltd., a seafood processor based in China. Yantai Sanko Fisheries Co. Ltd. has received persons from the Xinjiang region of China under a government labor transfer program since 2019 and until at least April 2023.
High Liner has also imported shipments of yellowfin sole from Yantai Longwin Foods Co. Ltd. Yantai Longwin is linked to Yantai Sanko through corporate ownership. Our investigation has also found Uyghurs working at Yantai Longwin, since August 2020 and until as recently as March 2023.
The United Nations, human rights organizations and academic experts agree that since 2018, the Chinese government has systematically subjected Xinjiang’s predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities to forced labor across the country via state-sanctioned employment programs which use coercive methods in worker enrollment and obstruct freedom to terminate employment. The U.S. has prohibited the importation of goods produced from state-imposed forced labor.
Could you confirm whether white fish sourced from Yantai Sanko or Yantai Longwin has been used in any white fish products supplied by High Liner and sold by ShopRite since 2019? Please reply to this email by close of business August 31, 2023."
Email sent to ShopRites's parent company, Wakefern Food Corporation, saying: "We previously contacted you on August 23, 2023, regarding our investigation into the use of forced labor in China’s food processing industry. We’re contacting you again now to raise additional findings from our ongoing investigation, as they relate to ShopRite’s supply chain. According to our research, Canadian Fish Exporters supplies pollock under its 'Buena Ventura' brand to ShopRite. Trade data seen by The Outlaw Ocean Project shows that Canadian Fish Exporters was the consignee for over 100 shipments of pollock from a Chinese company called Dandong Haimeng since 2019. We have uncovered evidence that Dandong Haimeng 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 Haimeng’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, does ShopRite have any comment to make in response to this - or our previous - email?"
The Outlaw Ocean Project emailed: "As we hadn't heard back from you on this, we wanted to check in and see if you have any comment to make at this time? To clarify: The supply company in question is called Donggang Haimeng Foodstuff, based in Dandong City, Liaoning, China."
Wakefern's communications team emailed a statement to The Outlaw Ocean Project's publishing partner, The New Yorker: "Although we continue to procure product from Canadian Fish Exporters (CFE), CFE confirmed that they have not worked with Donggang Haimeng Food Co. since 2021. As a result, there is currently no product sourced from Donggang Haimeng Food Co. in our supply chain. It’s also important to note that at the time that CFE was working with Donggang Haimeng Food Co. an audit of their facility was conducted that indicated North Korean nationals were not part of Donggang Haimeng Food Co.’s labor force."