Several major automakers are entangled in global supply chains that use raw materials from Xinjiang, according to a report by a human rights and slavery scholar at Sheffield Hallam University.
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th December, 2022) Several major automakers are entangled in global supply chains that use raw materials from Xinjiang, according to a report by a human rights and slavery scholar at Sheffield Hallam University.
"Several major international auto manufacturers�including Volkswagen Audi Group, Honda, Ford, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz Group, Toyota, Tesla, Renault, NIO, and Stellantis Group had several supply chain exposures to the Uyghur Region," the report said.
China is one of the world's largest suppliers of auto parts, exporting more than $45 billion worth last year, a quarter of which went to the United States. The report found that international automakers are directly and indirectly exposed to alleged state-sponsored forced labor by Uyghurs, which is used to process raw materials such as steel, aluminium, and copper - the base metals critical to manufacturing car parts and whole cars.
The report found more than 100 international manufacturers of automotive parts or cars that have some exposure to goods made through alleged forced Uyghur labor, including more than 50 that are sourcing directly from companies operating in the Uyghur region or companies that have accepted Uyghur labor transfers across China.
