eTextile Communications: Genutrace, Kinset partner to defend cotton claims amid rising scrutiny

BRIGHTWATERS, N.Y. — As Germany becomes one of the first EU member states to enforce sweeping anti-greenwashing rules and global brands continue to face enforcement under the U.S. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), GenuTrace and Kinset announced a collaboration designed to help companies prove cotton origin claims with evidence that can withstand regulatory scrutiny.

The partnership responds to a rapidly changing compliance landscape in which sustainability and origin claims are no longer assessed on intent or documentation alone, but on whether they can be substantiated with verifiable, product-linked proof. Germany’s amended Act Against Unfair Competition — implementing the EU’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive — now explicitly prohibits generic or unverifiable environmental claims, while UFLPA enforcement continues to place the burden of proof on importers to demonstrate that cotton is not linked to forced labor.