image source, Getty Images
- author, peter hoskins
- role, business reporter
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BMW, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Volkswagen (VW) have suppliers on a list of banned companies for suspected links to forced labor in China, according to a US Congressional report. Manufactured parts were used.
“Automaker self-regulation is clearly not working,” the Democratic senator said.
Jaguar Land Rover told the BBC: “We take human rights and forced labor issues seriously and have an active ongoing program to protect human rights and combat slavery.”
BMW and VW did not respond to requests for comment.
Mr. Wyden also called on U.S. Customs and Border Protection to “intensify enforcement and crack down on companies that facilitate the shameful use of forced labor in China.”
The report added that Jaguar Land Rover was importing spare parts, including parts from JWD, after being placed on the banned list.
JLR said it is currently identifying and disposing of inventory held around the world containing this part.
In February, Volkswagen announced that thousands of its cars, including Porsches and Bentleys, had been seized by authorities for containing parts that violate U.S. anti-forced labor laws.
According to the report, VW had voluntarily notified customs officials about the issue.
Congress passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) in 2021.
The bill aims to block the import of goods from China's northwestern Xinjiang region that are said to have been manufactured using forced labor by members of the Uyghur minority.
JWD was added to the UFLPA Entity List in December 2023, meaning the company's products are presumed to be manufactured using forced labor.
China is accused of holding more than 1 million Uyghurs against their will in the Xinjiang region over the past few years.
Authorities deny all allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
