Senator Ron Wyden (D.OR), chair of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, is investigating major car manufacturers for their links to forced Uyghur labor. Jemal Countess/Getty Images by SEIU
Senate Finance Committee sent letters asking automakers to check their supply chains for links to Uyghur forced labor. The Senate Finance Committee sent letters to automakers asking them to examine their supply chains to see if they have any connections to the Xinjiang area.
The US Senate Finance Committee is investigating whether car manufacturers are sourcing metals and parts that are linked to Uyghur labor. This is a Muslim minority group based out of Xinjiang in China.
Ron Wyden, an Oregon Senator and chair of the Senate Finance Committee sent Thursday letters to Honda and Ford, General Motors and Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis and Tesla asking for specific information about their supply chains.
The committee asked that car manufacturers conduct their own supply chain analysis and mapping to determine if there are any links to Xinjiang. The committee asked if the car makers had ever threatened to end or ended relationships with suppliers, including sub-suppliers, in order to identify possible connections to Xinjiang.
The letters stated that although automotive supply chains can be complex and vast, it is crucial that automakers examine their relationships with all suppliers connected to Xinjiang.
These letters follow weeks of research by Sheffield Hallam University that suggested that car manufacturers may be importing Uyghur labor-forced materials.
According to Chinese government orders, at least 2,000 Uyghurs were forced to work in aluminum and steel metal-processing plants. These metals are used in the manufacture of car bodies, wheels, brakes and frames.
Kendyl Salcito was one of the Sheffield researchers who claimed to Insider that factory conditions were “utterly appalling.”
These letters come one year after President Joe Biden signed The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. This Act seeks to ban all imports from the Xinjiang area.
The letters stated that the United States considered the Chinese government’s brutal oppression Uyghurs living in Xinjiang to be an “ongoing genocide” and crimes against humanity.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the Chinese government dismissed US claims of genocide and oppression as false.
Insider was told by a Honda spokesperson that Honda expects suppliers to adhere to its global sustainability guidelines. They also “will work with policymakers regarding these important issues.”
Stellantis, which is the brand behind Chrysler, Jeep and other brands, said it takes these matters very seriously and is currently reviewing Chairman Wyden’s letter as well as the claims made in the research. A spokesperson for Insider stated that Stellantis is currently reviewing Wyden’s letter. Stellantis refered Insider to the code of conduct it expects its suppliers to follow.
General Motors stated to the Journal that it prohibits forced labor, abuse of employees or corrupt business practices in its supply chains. A Volkswagen spokesperson told the Journal that the company investigates any violation of its policy and that “serious violations like forced labor could lead to the termination of the contract with that supplier.”
Insider and the Journal did not receive immediate responses from other automakers to our requests for comment.
Stellantis, Honda, General Motors and Volkswagen previously stated to Insider that they do not accept forced labor in their supply chain and take allegations of abuse very seriously.
According to the letters, the committee stated that greater transparency would help the government examine how effective trade laws are at addressing labor rights violations in China.
The letters stated that automobiles have many parts sourced from around the globe and are subject to complicated supply chains. “This recognition can not cause the United States of America to compromise its fundamental commitment towards upholding human rights, US law,” it said.
Business Insider has the original article.
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By: amok@insider.com (Aaron Mok)
Title: Tesla, Mercedes, and GM are being probed by US Senate on whether they use forced Uyghur labor
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/the-senate-probes-car-makers-on-links-to-uyghur-labor-2022-12
Published Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2022 22:40:24 +0000
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