BMW, Jaguar and VW imported parts banned in Xinjiang (Senate investigation)

BMW, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Volkswagen (VW) used parts made by a supplier on a list of banned companies due to alleged links to Chinese forced labor, according to a US Congressional report.

“Self-policing by automakers clearly doesn’t do the trick,” the Democratic senator said.

The three carmakers did not immediately respond to BBC requests for comment.

Mr Wyden also urged the US Customs and Border Protection agency to “strengthen enforcement and crack down on companies fueling China’s shameful use of forced labor.”

The report adds that Jaguar Land Rover imported spare parts including components from JWD after the company was placed on the banned list.

He said JLR had now identified and was destroying all stockpiles it held worldwide that included the component.

In February, VW said thousands of its vehicles, including Porshes and Bentleys, had been detained by authorities because they contained a component that violated U.S. anti-forced labor laws.

VW voluntarily informed customs authorities of this problem, according to the report.

Congress passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) in 2021.

The legislation aims to prevent the importation of goods from China’s northwest Xinjiang region that are believed to have been made by people belonging to the Uyghur minority under conditions of forced labor.

JWD was added to the UFLPA Entity List in December 2023, meaning its products are presumed to be made with forced labor.

China has been accused of detaining more than a million Uighurs in Xinjiang against their will in recent years.

Authorities have denied all allegations of human rights violations in Xinjiang.