Fashion giant H&M has confirmed plans to “phase out” its operations in Myanmar following reports of labour abuse in its garment factories.

The Swedish retailer told Reuters that it has made the decision to “gradually stop sourcing” from Myanmar as labour abuse accusations in the country are on the rise.

This comes after reports earlier this week that H&M is investigating 20 alleged instances of abuse at its Myanmar-based factories.

H&M joins other fashion retailers, including Zara owner Inditex, Marks & Spencer and Primark, who have also decided to cease operations in the country.

A spokesperson for H&M said in an email to the news agency: “After careful consideration, we have now taken the decision to gradually phase out our operations in Myanmar.

“We have been monitoring the latest developments in Myanmar very closely and we see increased challenges to conduct our operation, according to our standards and requirements.”

It was also recently reported that the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) tracked 156 cases of alleged labour abuse in Myanmar garment factories between February 2022 and February 2023 – up from 56 cases the previous year.

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