# Esquel cotton-to-retail tier map

An open-source-intelligence (OSINT) project mapping publicly reported connections between Esquel Group, Vietnamese garment makers, and U.S. apparel buyers, alongside relevant U.S. government listings. It distinguishes documented facts from press reporting and leaves unverified links visibly unresolved.

## Open locally

No build step is required. From this folder, run:

```sh
python3 -m http.server 8000
```

Then open <http://localhost:8000>. The page loads JSON with `fetch`, so it needs a local web server rather than a direct `file://` URL. The interactive map uses vis-network from a CDN.

## Screenshot

![Screenshot of the Esquel cotton-to-retail map](./screenshot.png)

## Live link

https://belianakrashi.github.io/esquel-cotton-tier-map/

## Project files

- [`index.html`](./index.html): interactive, responsive, light/dark map and narrative.
- [`data/entities.json`](./data/entities.json): nodes with status, evidence, confidence, and dated source URLs.
- [`data/relationships.json`](./data/relationships.json): sourced connections with confidence and caveats.
- [`METHODOLOGY.md`](./METHODOLOGY.md): research steps, evidence labels, and limitations.

## Initial sources

- U.S. Department of Homeland Security, [Oct. 31, 2024 UFLPA announcement](https://www.dhs.gov/news/2024/10/31/dhs-places-additional-prc-based-textile-companies-uflpa-entity-list) and [current UFLPA Entity List](https://www.dhs.gov/uflpa-entity-list).
- U.S. Department of Commerce / Federal Register, [FR Doc. 2020-15827](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-07-22/html/2020-15827.htm).
- Esquel Group, [public response concerning Changji Esquel](https://www.esquel.com/news/response-changji-esquel-textile-co-ltd-cje-being-named-us-department-commerce-entity-list).
- U.S. Treasury / OFAC, [July 31, 2020 XPCC designation announcement](https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm1073).
- Reuters, [Sept. 25, 2026 report](https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/how-firms-linked-sanctioned-chinese-cotton-giant-sell-clothes-us-2026-09-25/); [syndicated copy](https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/international/3982183-exclusive-how-firms-linked-to-sanctioned-chinese-cotton-giant-sell-clothes-to-us).

Every node and relationship in the JSON includes the source URL(s) and access date. The September 2026 Reuters story is cited through its syndicated copy where article text is needed.

## Legal and ethics note

This map is a public-source research aid, not legal advice, a compliance determination, or a finding that any named company's products contain forced-labor cotton. DHS described a rebuttable presumption for goods produced by listed entities; the scope and application of that law are not reducible to a simple supplier graph. Reuters reported that it could not establish whether the U.S.-bound products contained Esquel or Xinjiang cotton. Company denials and buyer responses are included. Do not treat a reported commercial connection as proof of product-level origin, legal liability, or wrongdoing. Do not use the map to target private individuals; people are omitted unless a public corporate role is directly relevant.

## Publication status

Published from public sources only. ImportYeti shipment records, Vietnam business-registry details, and OpenSanctions screening are not yet included; they are listed under "What we could not confirm" and will be added with dated source links.