US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently issued its first-ever “withhold release” orders on garments made in Jordan. These orders, issued on June 23 with immediate effect, bar shipments from two factories run by Jordan-based clothes manufacturer Needle Craft from entering the US market.

The case can be traced to the 2023 suicides of two young Bangladeshi women working in clothing factories in Jordan’s Ad-Dhulayl industrial zone. In response, UK-based workers’ rights organisation Labour Behind the Label launched an investigation with the i newspaper.

Their findings drew international attention to allegations of forced labour in the two factories – and helped prompt the CBP to launch its inquiry. Needle Craft has not publicly responded to the allegations.

Major US brands sourcing from Needle Craft, most notably Columbia Sportswear and Under Armour, have announced they will address the issues raised directly with their supplier.

The Needle Craft case is not an isolated instance of alleged abuse. Rather, it is symptomatic of a labour regime in Jordan that is sustained by the exploitation of predominantly female migrant workers.

A recent report I co-authored with urban researchers Ahmed Zaazaa and Heba Zakarnah documents workers’ everyday experiences of restricted mobility, dormitory life and deteriorating health in Jordan’s clothing production zones – from Aqaba in the south to Al-Hassan in the north.

The workers’ stories, annotated maps and drawings brought together in our report reveal how employer control and the relentless rhythms of global clothing production permeate every aspect of their lives.

During peak production periods, migrant workers routinely work 12- to 14-hour days, with overtime often exceeding the legal limit of two hours per day. Strict production targets dictate........

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