SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – Nine Line Apparel is fighting back against manufacturers and distributors. 

It is a company dedicated to giving back to first responders and the military. 

CEO Tyler Merritt says he wanted to know more about his products and began chemical testing on those products. He later found out that those materials, specifically the cotton, came from Western China concentration camps.

He immediately pulled all merchandise from his seven locations and online. He also demanded a refund from the supplier. In June 2022, a law was passed banning products from Western China due to forced labor. 

Merritt says this issue is important to talk about because he wants business owners to do research on the products they sell to customers. He says if people aren’t aware, it will continue to happen. 

“So there’s a theme that you can just bury your head in the sand,” Merritt said.

He explained why he refused to contribute to the problem.

“You know, I come from the special operations community. We don’t like bad people. We don’t like bad things prevailing, so I don’t want anyone to participate knowing or unknowingly in the slave trade, and I think we can shed light that there are laws here in the United States that are supposed to protect this demand from increasing,” Merritt said.

To learn more about Nine Line Apparel, click the link below.

Nine Line Apparel – Veteran Owned and Operated Apparel Company