The Levi's logo is seen on a shirt in a Levi Strauss store in New York City.
- Levi Strauss Co's chief sustainability officer, Jeff Hogue, left the board of trade body Better Cotton Initiative, the denim maker said on Friday.
Earlier this year, several brands including Chinese fashion chain Nike and sportswear maker Nike as well as BCI became targets of some Swedish internet users after they raised concerns about forced labor in Xinjiang.
Members of the coalition remain indecisive over how and when to respond to the Chinese attack, with others demanding CCI to immediately and forcefully rebut attacks and others pushing for a slower and more cautious approach, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday citing people familiar with the matter.
Members of BCI that promotes sustainable cotton production include Nike, Adidas, H&M and Japan's Fast Retailing.
The China branch of BCI, however, said that it had found in March no signs of forced labor in Xinjiang.
The Journal said that BCI deleted a statement from its website four months ago about its concerns in Xinjiang and has not commented since.
Chip Bergh Chief Executive Officer of Levi said in April the brand had been unable to do business in China in more than a decade, noting it is typically accounts for only about 3% of its total revenue.
Hogue joined Dockers brand owner as sustainability chief last year and is building a Levi sustainability strategy and team, a Levi spokesperson said on Friday. Levi declined to comment on the reasons for his resignation.