WASHINGTON D.C. — Republicans within Congress say NBA players should break their endorsement deals with Chinese sportswear firms Anta and Li-Ning, whose cotton supply chains are implicated in the use of forced labor in China’s Xinjiang province, according to Politico.


Alongside public statements and activity on the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China, three Representatives are pressuring the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control to list the two companies on its Specially Designated Nationals list, which would prohibit U.S. citizens from doing business with them.


High-profile players currently signed up with either Anta or Li-Ning include Jimmy Butler, CJ McCollum and Klay Thompson. Dwayne Wade, who is now retired, signed a lifetime deal with Li-Ning in 2018.


According to The New York Times, the increased scrutiny comes after stock prices in Anta and Li-Ning rose in the aftermath of them reaffirming their commitment to Xinjiang cotton. Rivals Nike and Adidas sent out statements denouncing forced labor in the region, which saw them boycotted by some in China.