Correspondence
Email sent to the press contact for Lidl in France.
The email described supply chain connections between the company's supplier, Cité Marine, and the use of Uyghur forced labor in the Chinese seafood processing plants Qingdao Tianyuan and Qingdao Lian Yang. The email asked: Could you confirm whether white fish sourced from Qingdao Tianyuan or Qingdao Lian Yang has been used in any of the seafood products sold by Lidl since 2018?
Lidl’s Corporate Communications International team replied to the query regarding Lidl France's supply chain, saying: "As you already know, we take our corporate responsibility as well as any kind of allegations very seriously. That’s why we are currently investigating the matter.
We immediately contacted our supplier Cité Marine and requested a statement on the matter. Cité Marine stated to us that they have been informed about these accusations since early July, leading to a temporary suspension of all shipments from Qingdao Tianyuan Aquatic Foodstuff Co. Ltd. as a precaution. An unannounced audit was conducted at the factory and no evidence of forced labor could be found. A systematic problem with forced labor could not be identified. Cité Marine confirmed to us that they do not, however, have a business relationship with Qingdao Lian Yang Aquatic Product Co. Ltd.
In case you can provide us with any concrete evidence of forced labor in our supply chain, we kindly ask you to share it with us so we can further investigate the issue and take appropriate measures."