Hill Democrats, Republicans join to press Costco over sale of products linked to China forced labor

Congress is mounting a bipartisan effort to get answer from Costco Wholesale about alleged ties between forced labor in China and products sold in its stores. 

Rep. Chris Smith R-N.J., and Sen. Jeffrey Merkley D-Oregon, wrote a letter Tuesday to Costco, requesting the so-called Big Box discount retailer explain why it still sells products that are allegedly linked to human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region of China including security cameras. 

“We should both agree that American consumers should not be subsidizing horrific human rights abuses – by either Chinese security or seafood companies,” the letter reads. 

The letter specifically requests answers as to why Costco is selling cameras made by Lorex, which is a former subsidiary of the camera maker Zhejiang Dahua Technology. 

Dahua is a company in China whose cameras are banned from being sold in the U.S., due to helping the Chinese government aid oppression in Xinjiang, according to The Wall Street Journal.

A Costco representative said the company is reviewing the letter and will respond soon, the news outlet also reports.