BMW, Jaguar and VW import banned Xinjiang parts – Senate probe

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, a US congressional report said.

“Self-policing by automakers is clearly not working,” the Democratic senator said.

Jaguar Land Rover told the BBC it “takes human rights and forced labor issues seriously and has an active program of human rights protection and anti-slavery action”.

BMW and VW did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Mr Wyden also urged US Customs and Border Protection to “take tough action against 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 said it is now identifying and destroying any stock worldwide containing these components.

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) into law 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.

“The US’s so-called Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act is not about forced labor, but about creating unemployment. It does not protect human rights, but under the guise of human rights, affects the livelihood and employment rights of people in Xinjiang,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.

“China strongly condemns and firmly opposes this. We will take measures to resolutely protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.”