image source, Good pictures
- author, Peter Hoskins
- stock, Business Correspondent
BMW, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Volkswagen (VW) used parts made by a supplier on a list of banned companies allegedly linked to Chinese forced labor, according to a US congressional report.
“Self-policing by automakers is clearly not working,” the Democratic senator said.
The three carmakers did not immediately respond to the BBC’s requests for comment.
Mr Wyden urged US Customs and Border Protection to “step up enforcement and crack down on companies that encourage the shameful use of forced labor in China”.
Jaguar Land Rover has imported spare parts from JWT on the banned list, the report said.
JLR has now identified and is destroying any stock containing these components worldwide, it said.
In February, VW said thousands of its vehicles, including Porsches and Bentleys, were being held by authorities because they contained a component that violated US anti-forced labor laws.
The report said that VW voluntarily informed the customs authorities about the issue.
Congress passed the Uighur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) in 2021.
The law is meant to prevent imports of goods from China’s northwestern Xinjiang region believed to be made in forced labor conditions by members of the Uyghur minority group.
JWD was added to the UFLPA company list in December 2023, meaning its products are considered to be made with forced labour.
China has been accused of holding more than a million Uyghurs against their will in Xinjiang over the past few years.
Officials have denied all allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
