Correspondence
Email sent to the contact address for H Mart. January 17, 2023: A letter with the same text as the email dated January 10 was sent by certified mail.
The email described abuses on a jigger owned by Rongcheng Wangdao, including the death of one crew member and disembarkation of a second for medical care after mistreatment on board, and multiple indicators of forced labor among the ship’s crew. It then traced squid from that vessel to the Chishan Group processor Rongcheng Haibo, which supplies squid products to Grand BK Corporation. The Wangdao vessel also transhipped with reefers owned by the CNFC whose subsidiary Yantai New Ocean Aquatic also supplies squid to Grand BK. H Mart stocks squid products supplied by Grand BK under its trademarked label Tong Tong Bay. The email asked if the company had any comment to make in light of this information.