With buyers looking to diversify sourcing from China, Uzbekistan is fast emerging as a preferred supplier after a decade-long international boycott over forced labor, says a report by ANI News.

Since the last decade, Uzbekistan has launched several forms to end child land forced labor by privatizing cotton farms and moving up the value chain. It is seeing a sharp increase in interest from large multinational brands and retailers. In addition, Uzbekistan also has the capacity to become the main source for cotton for China. It expects a huge influx of trade and investment in the next 18 to 24 months.

Meanwhile, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden have issued a joint statement expressing grave concern at the human rights situation of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim minorities in China’s Xinjiang province.