- This post provides an update to our 20 October post on the Withhold Release Order (WRO) issued against Giant Manufacturing Co. Ltd. on 30 September 2025. The WRO covers all bicycles, components, and accessories imported from the Taiwanese bicycle manufacturer due to the forced labour of migrant workers.
Key developments
- On 1 January 2025, Giant introduced a zero-recruitment-fee policy for new migrant workers. On 15 October, Giant announced plans to reimburse existing migrant workers hired before the policy took effect. An unnamed third-party adviser is designing the pay-back scheme. Giant has not disclosed how repayments will be calculated. The issue of how far back recruitment fees should be paid was also recently debated in the Transparentem 2025 case against garment brands in Taiwan.
- Giant stated that US CBP never visited its facilities and never had any direct contact with the company before announcing the WRO. It is likely that the WRO relied on Peter Bergsten’s reporting for Le Monde diplomatique (summarised here). This case has drawn further attention to CBP’s evidentiary standards, following a recent US Court ruling that overturned another WRO for lack of sufficient evidence.
- The Taiwanese government has reportedly backed Giant. The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Labor, and Taichung City officials will offer diplomatic and technical support and have framed the WRO as a US non-tariff barrier. Analysts warned the measure could reflect broader trade tactics, with potential implications for other exporting sectors in Taiwan.
- Conversely, on 27 October, Control Yuan, Taiwan’s government watchdog, announced an investigation into potential forced-labour practices involving migrant workers in the garment sector. It will examine whether relevant authorities have taken adequate action to address these issues and uphold Taiwan’s obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). This action was reportedly taken in response to Transparentem’s February 2025 investigative report, though the timing, shortly after the WRO against Giant, is worth noting.
- Though not subject to the WRO, Taiwan-based Merida Industry Co., the second-largest bicycle manufacturer after Giant, has also pledged to adopt a zero-fee policy from 1 October 2025. It planned to reimburse past recruitment costs to current migrant workers by 25 October 2025.