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According to a Senate Finance Committee investigation, Jaguar, BMW, Land Rover, and Volkswagen have been accused of relying on forced labor in China for some of their purchased parts.

The investigation revealed that these major automakers purchased components flagged by the US government for links to forced labor camps in Xinjiang, a region in China home to the Uighur Muslim minority. Notably, BMW, Jaguar, and Land Rover continued importing these flagged parts as recently as last month despite being informed about the forced labor connections.

Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden criticized the automakers for their lack of due diligence, stating, “Automakers are sticking their heads in the sand and then swearing they can’t find any forced labor in their supply chains.” Wyden urged Customs and Border Protection to enforce stricter measures against companies utilizing forced labor in China.

While Volkswagen took steps to halt imports and replace the flagged parts, BMW continued to import the affected vehicles until recently. Both BMW, Jaguar and Land Rover defended their practices, citing stringent policies against forced labor and human rights abuses, though their actions suggested otherwise.

Digging Deeper:
The report highlighted that BMW imported approximately 8,000 Mini cars to the US, which contained parts from a supplier accused of forced labor. These parts were manufactured by Sichuan Jingweida Technology Group (JWD) and supplied through Lear Corp. JWD was added to the US forced labor list in December due to allegations of collaborating with the Xinjiang government in forced labor activities.