Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti was one of 21 state attorneys general who sent a letter to the online retailer Temu and the CEO of its parent company, PPD Holdings Inc., seeking information regarding the company’s alleged ties with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), data collection and sharing practices, and possible violations of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA).
The letter was led by Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, who called Temu’s apparent ties to the CCP “deeply troubling.”
In the letter to Temu and its parent company, Knudsen and the 20 other attorneys general cited findings from a select committee in the U.S. House of Representatives that investigated Temu and other companies’ ties to China and their violations of the UFLPA.
Last year, the U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party investigated multiple concerns about Temu and found that the company has “no system to ensure compliance with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) – all but guaranteeing that shipments made by Uyghur forced labor are entering American homes.”
The Select Committee also found Temu to be using loopholes to evade import taxes and scrutiny on the millions of goods they sell to American consumers.
“Just last year, the United States House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party revealed disturbing information about Temu’s failure to comply with American laws prohibiting the use of forced labor by Uyghurs,” the state attorneys general wrote in the letter.
Noting how the company’s apparent violations of the UFLPA and its other business practices are “deeply troubling in its own right,” the attorneys general raised additional concerns about the company’s compliance with state consumer protection laws.
“This conduct is deeply troubling in its own right. But beyond the concerns raised by Temu’s likely (and extensive) violations of federal law, this ongoing conduct raises serious concerns about Temu’s compliance with state consumer protection laws,” the coalition of attorneys general wrote.
“On many fronts these reports are startling, and our offices remain committed to protecting our citizens from harmful business practices like these. If uncorrected, we will consider all available measures to protect our citizens,” the coalition added.
The attorneys general went on to pose 11 questions to the company and requested answers within 30 days from when the letter was sent on August 15.
In addition to Montana and Tennessee, the letter was signed by the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, and West Virginia.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Jonathan Skrmetti” by Tennessee Attorney General.
