Li-Ning responds to North Korean allegations
17/03/2022
In short, Li-Ning’s eponymous founder, executive chairman and co-chief executive, ex-champion gymnast Li Ning, stated on behalf of its board of directors that unspecified foreign “speculation” contained “incorrect and misleading allegations” against the brand, pointing out that the CBP’s sources had not yet been disclosed and, therefore, casting shade over their reliability.
Mr Li refused to answer to any specific allegation directly, but instead emphasised how his group “has a sound corporate governance system in place, strictly complies with the laws, regulations and compliance policies of the People’s Republic of China and upholds ethical standards.”
He added that Li-Ning also “strictly adheres” to the environmental, social and governance management guidelines stipulated by the Hong Kong stock exchange, through which he issued his statement on March 16. Explicitly, Mr Li said, no cases of forced labour had ever been discovered among its supply base.
The CBP announced on March 15 that, effective the day previous, it would be detaining all merchandise produced or manufactured by Li-Ning at every US port of entry, citing the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). This act prohibits entry into the US of any articles “mined, produced or manufactured wholly or in part by North Korean nationals or North Korean citizens anywhere in the world, unless clear and convincing evidence is provided that such goods were not made with forced labour.”
If said clear and convincing evidence cannot be provided by Li-Ning within 30 days, the CBP went on to say, its products may be subject to seizure and forfeiture at US ports.
Li-Ning’s Super Light Ace sneaker. Credit: Li-Ning via Instagram
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