Levi Strauss & Co. in China*

Since 1986 Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&CO.) had sourced garments for the U.S. market from independent contractors in China. It had also been evaluating joint venture opportunities in China, and early in 1992 after several years of study LS&CO. decided to forego direct investment because of concerns about China’s one child per family law. The company was in the process of formulating global sourcing guidelines and a decision-making process for addressing ethical dilemmas, and the expectation was that a task force would be formed to evaluate the situation in China.