Global Carmakers Implicated in Uyghur Forced Labor in China

Human Rights Watch Urges Companies to Improve Supply Chain Oversight Amid Allegations

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has implicated global carmakers, including General Motors, Tesla, BYD, Toyota, and Volkswagen, in the use of Uyghur forced labor in their aluminum supply chains in China.
HRW's report suggests that these carmakers have succumbed to Chinese government pressure to apply weaker human rights and responsible sourcing standards at their Chinese joint ventures, increasing the risk of exposure to forced labor in Xinjiang.
Aluminum produced in Xinjiang, a region known for its forced labor programs, is used in numerous automotive parts, making it difficult to trace and eliminate from supply chains.
HRW has urged these car companies to map their supply chains better and disengage from any direct supplier in Xinjiang until credible investigations of forced labor allegations are possible.
Despite these allegations, companies such as Volkswagen and Tesla maintain that they have found no evidence of forced labor in their supply chains.