Introduction
At Loong-Sails, we believe that a fair and ethical supply chain is not just a legal requirement but a fundamental responsibility. As a manufacturer of precision marine equipment and sails, our supply chain spans multiple countries and involves complex raw material sourcing. We acknowledge that the maritime and manufacturing sectors face inherent risks regarding labour practices.
This statement is made pursuant to section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes our slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ending 31 March 2026. It outlines the steps we have taken to ensure that modern slavery, forced labour, and human trafficking are not taking place within our business or our supply chains .
Our Organisational Structure and Supply Chain
Loong-Sails is a UK-based manufacturing company specialising in composite sailmaking and marine hardware. We operate from our headquarters and maintain distribution relationships across Europe and Asia.
Our supply chain is divided into three tiers:
- Raw Materials: Sourcing of technical fibres (carbon fibre, polyester, Dacron), resins, and aluminium from suppliers primarily located in Western Europe, Japan, and the USA.
- Component Manufacturing: Production of fittings, fastenings, and textiles, with some sub-assembly partners located in regions with higher inherent labour rights risks.
- Logistics and Services: Warehousing and transport partners based in the UK and EU.
We recognise that the highest risk of modern slavery in our industry lies within the raw material extraction and textile weaving stages, which is where we have focused our enhanced due diligence efforts for 2026 .
Our Policies and Governance
We have implemented a strict zero-tolerance policy towards modern slavery. Our commitments are governed by the following documents, which are reviewed annually by the board:
- Ethical Trading Policy: This policy explicitly prohibits forced labour, child labour, and the retention of identity documents. It applies to all employees and contractors.
- Supplier Code of Conduct: Introduced in 2024 and updated in 2026, this code mandates that all suppliers provide safe working conditions, treat workers with dignity, and comply with all local labour laws. It requires suppliers to flow these expectations down to their own subcontractors .
- Whistleblowing Mechanism: We maintain a confidential reporting channel (ethics@loong-sails.co.uk) for workers and external parties to raise concerns without fear of retaliation.
Responsibility for modern slavery oversight sits with the senior leadership team, reporting directly to Mike Robb, Company Manager.
Risk Assessment and Due Diligence
In accordance with the updated Home Office guidance released in March 2025, we have moved beyond simple self-declarations to active supply chain verification .
During the 2025/26 financial year, we conducted a comprehensive risk assessment of our supply base. Using a combination of country risk indices (based on the Global Slavery Index) and sector analysis, we identified 12 high-priority suppliers accounting for 68% of our raw material spend.
Our due diligence actions included:
- Audits: We conducted third-party audits at three manufacturing facilities in Southeast Asia to verify working hours, wage payments, and freedom of movement.
- Digital Verification: We have integrated the use of the Sedex platform to manage self-assessment questionnaires and audit data for our high-risk suppliers .
- Contractual Clauses: We updated our standard procurement contracts to include a mandatory right of audit (unannounced) and a requirement for suppliers to disclose their own modern slavery statements.
As a result of these audits, we identified no instances of forced labour but noted administrative gaps in working time records at one supplier. A corrective action plan was implemented and will be re-audited in Q3 2026.
Training and Awareness
We believe that effective prevention requires informed staff. In 2025, we delivered targeted training to 100% of our procurement and senior management teams. This training focused on:
- Identifying red flags in recruitment practices (such as excessive recruitment fees).
- Understanding the signs of worker exploitation during site visits.
- The new legal requirements for supply chain transparency under the 2025 guidance .
A general awareness session was also held for all UK-based manufacturing staff to explain our policies and how to use the reporting mechanism.
Key Performance Indicators and Evaluation
To measure the effectiveness of our efforts, we have set the following KPIs for the 2026/27 financial year:
- Supply Chain Coverage: Achieve 100% sign-off of our updated Supplier Code of Conduct by all Tier 1 suppliers (currently 92%).
- Risk Mapping: Extend our risk mapping to Tier 2 suppliers (raw material mills) for all critical sailcloth components.
- Audit Completion: Complete SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) audits for all suppliers categorised as ‘high risk’.
We will report on progress against these KPIs in our next annual statement.
Conclusion
Loong-Sails is committed to continuous improvement. We understand that modern slavery is a complex, evolving issue, and we will continue to engage with industry bodies, NGOs, and our suppliers to strengthen our response .
This statement has been approved by the board of directors and is signed by:
Mike Robb
Manager, Loong-Sails
Date: 27 March 2026