China said on Tuesday that it would investigate whether PVHjollibee.bet, the American retailer that owns the Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger brands, has taken “discriminatory measures” against products from Xinjiang in China’s far west.

The announcement, by China’s Ministry of Commerce, is a new escalation of China’s effort to fight bans or consumer boycotts of goods from Xinjiang.

Many Western governments have begun restricting or banning products from Xinjiang following mass arrests and evidence of forced labor among the region’s predominantly Muslim ethnic groups, particularly the Uyghurs. Researchers have cited evidence that cotton production in Xinjiang has been tainted by coercion.

Beijing is sending a message to multinational corporations that if they comply with consumer boycotts or government bans on products from Xinjiang, they may face retaliation in China.

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China’s action underlines how big companies increasingly find themselves sandwiched between pressures from the Chinese government, which defends its policies in Xinjiang, and Western countries and human rights advocacy groups.

PVH, which is based in New York, said in a statement that it was in communication with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. “PVH maintains strict compliance with all relevant laws and regulations in all countries and regions in which we operate,” the company said.

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