British budget fashion chain Primark recently said it was constantly on the watch for any slavery in its supply chain while dismissing the idea that low cost meant exploitation.

Donald Trump railed against the shifting of U.S. jobs overseas during his campaign, but it remains to be seen whether the President-elect will make good on his promises to reign in offshore outsourcing. The Indian-dominated offshore IT services market was already struggling to find its place in a market increasingly ruled by smaller and shorter term deals, cloud computing options, increased automation and intense competition.

From a remote corner of northeastern Myanmar, an insurgent army sells tin ore to suppliers of some of the world's largest consumer companies. More than 500 companies, including leading brands such as smartphone maker Apple, coffee giant Starbucks and luxury jeweler Tiffany & Co, list among their suppliers Chinese-controlled firms that indirectly buy ore from the Man Maw mine near Myanmar's border with China, a Reuters examination of the supply chain found.