An investigation by the Senate Finance Committee revealed that several European-based automakers were importing cars or car parts made using Chinese slave labor into the United States.
of investigationThe report, released Monday and led by Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), accuses automakers of “butting their heads in while saying they don’t find forced labor in their supply chains.” did.
In January of this year, an investigation found that Volkswagen cars shipped to the U.S. market contained auto parts from Chinese suppliers presumed to have used slave labor, leading to Prohibited by the federal government under the Labor Force Prevention Act (UFLPA).
UFLPA was enacted in late 2021 and aims to prevent products made in China’s Xinjiang region, known as a hub for slave labor and human rights abuses by the Chinese Communist Party, from reaching the U.S. market. Party (Communist Party of China).
The investigation also found that Germany-based BMW imported thousands of vehicles into the United States that contained parts presumed to be made with Chinese slave labor, which is prohibited under the UFLPA. Meanwhile, Jaguar Land Rover, like Volkswagen, was importing car parts believed to be made from Chinese slave labor.
Research details:
The Commission’s investigation found that BMW manufactured and imported vehicles that contained parts presumed to have been manufactured with forced labor. Jaguar Land Rover imports parts believed to be made using forced labor.and [Volkswagen] It manufactures vehicles for the U.S. market using parts believed to be made using forced labor and has an ongoing business relationship with U.S. manufacturers. [Xinjiang].
Even after BMW and Jaguar Land Rover were informed of links between their supply chains and Chinese slave labor in Xinjiang, executives were either unaware of such links or believed that their auto parts were linked to slave labor. He claimed that he denied that he had done so.
According to the investigation, BMW executives ultimately revealed that at least 8,000 Mini Cooper models containing parts estimated to have been made by Chinese slave labor had already been shipped to the U.S. market for sale. did.
The investigation found that until at least April of this year, BMW continued to import products into the U.S. market that were presumed to have been manufactured using Chinese slave labor. These imports were stopped only after BMW executives discovered the automaker was under investigation by the commission.
“Automakers’ self-regulation is clearly not working,” Wyden said. “I am calling on Customs and Border Protection to step up enforcement and take a number of concrete steps to crack down on companies that facilitate China’s shameful use of forced labor.”
Jon Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.
