Major polyester producers in India and China have ratcheted up imports of Russian crude this year, according to a report published this week.
That could be enabling Russian oil to seep into Western wardrobes through suppliers that service companies including Tommy Hilfiger-owner PVH, Zara-owner Inditex and Nike, the report by environmental campaign group Changing Markets Foundation said. The companies did not respond to requests for comment.
The investigation examined the polyester supply chains of 50 fashion companies, tracing links to India’s Reliance Industries or China’s Hengli — two of the world’s largest polyester manufacturers — at 39 of them. In many cases the connection is indirect, via a third-party supplier.
”Russia is profiting from the fast-fashion industry by sneaking in oil to the European and US markets,” the report said.
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