Our Code of Conduct, which applies to our own facilities and also our third-party suppliers, shows our commitment in adhering to the highest standards with regards to human rights, labour relations and the environment. Gildan is committed to sourcing products and raw materials from suppliers that engage in responsible practices.
In 2012, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) established new requirements under Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The new requirements make it mandatory for publicly-traded companies to identify and disclose products that contain “conflict minerals” (the “Conflict Minerals Rule”). Conflict minerals include columbite-tantalite (coltan, i.e. tantalum), cassiterite (i.e. tin), wolframite (i.e. tungsten) and/or gold, as well as their derivatives, originating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and adjoining countries. Gildan filed its first disclosure report on June 2, 2014 and its latest disclosure report on May 18, 2023.
Gildan is committed to avoiding the use of conflict minerals in the products we manufacture and source. We have implemented a compliance program in order to meet our obligations under the Conflict Minerals Rule. Tin, tantalum, tungsten or gold are used in the production of Gildan’s products. As such, our compliance program is designed to determine whether these minerals originate from the Democratic Republic of the Congo or any adjoining country.
Our compliance program includes the implementation of portions of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas, as well as processes to identify whether any conflict minerals have the potential to be present in our products. We require our suppliers to certify in writing that all raw materials or products supplied to us are free of conflict minerals.
Furthermore, Gildan reserves the right at any time to request additional information from suppliers regarding the origin of any raw materials or products containing tantalum, tin, tungsten, or gold.