• US Senate Finance Commitee chair, Ron Wyden in an investigation that took two years, revealed massive gaps in oversight conducted by automakers to ensure their supply chains were free of forced labour.
  • Of cars imported to the U.S, a minimum of 8000 Mini Coopers, manufactured by BMW, contained parts from the Chinese firm Jingweida Technology Group (JWD) banned for the use of Forced Labour.
A recent U.S Probe brought to light that German Automakers Volkswagen and BMW, and British Automaker Land Rover were using parts from a supplier listed among banned establishments linked to Chinese forced labour.

US Senate Finance Commitee Chair, Ron Wyden in an investigation that took two years, revealed massive gaps in oversight conducted by automakers to ensure their supply chains were free of forced labour.

Of cars imported to the U.S, a minimum of 8000 Mini Coopers, manufactured by BMW, contained parts from the Chinese firm Jingweida Technology Group (JWD) banned for the use of Forced Labour.

Despite the Uyghur Forced Labour Protection Act, which in 2021 strengthened sanction enforcement in Xinjiang and within entities taking part in China’s forced labour scheme, Volkswagen admitted their vehicles contained supplier-parts banned under the act.

While Volkswagen publicly came clean in early 2024, BMW kept it under wraps that they imported thousands of vehicles into the U.S with parts banned under UFLPA. Importation of goods made with forced labour has been illegal in the U.S since the 1930’s.

In a chain of parts supplies, Volvo and Jaguar Land Rover (JLD), the makers of Land Rover, Range Rover and Jaguar found themselves in possession of parts manufactured by JWD. Despite letters from their supplier, Lear Corp informing them of the banned components, Jaguar Land Rover denied being aware of any connections to the Manufacturer.

In response, Jaguar Land Rover, speaking to the BBC, said it takes human rights and Forced labour issues seriously and has an ongoing programme for anti-slavery measures.

BMW, the makers of Rolls Royce and Mini, and Volkswagen, the Makers of Audi, Porsche, Bentley, Lamborgini, Buggati, Skoda, Scania and Seat were slow to respond to requests for comments.

China has been accused of holding over a million Uyghurs, a Turkic ethnic group in China, against their will in the Xinjiang region and subjecting them to forced labour over the past few years.

“Automakers self policing is clearly not doing the job. I'm calling on customs and border protection to take a number of specific steps to supercharge enforcement and crackdown on companies that fuel the shameful use of forced labour in China,” Mr wyden said.