Report traces links between major car brands' supply chains & companies linked to alleged abuses in Uyghur region
The report "Driving Force - Automotive Supply Chains and Forced Labor in the Uyghur Region" published by Sheffield Hallam University and NomoGaia traces the supply chains of major car manufacturers and documents the automotive industry’s reliance on the alleged exploitation in the Uyghur Region. It contains documentation of labour transfers, profiles of individual companies, and explanations of the development of relevant industries in the Uyghur Region.
The authors conclude that the vast supply chains of the automotive industry are widely tainted with forced labour and make several recommendations to car companies, including carrying out full supply chain tracing. They urge governments to enact mandatory human rights due diligence laws that require companies to address human rights risks beyond first-tier suppliers. An interactive online supply chain map accompanies the report.
The authors of "Driving Force" gave all companies named in the report the opportunity to contribute to the report findings. Bosch, Aston Martin, Mercedes Benz, ORA, Rio Tinto, Nissan, Pirelli, General Motors, Volvo, Honda, Kohler, BMW, and Trafigura provided statements; their responses can be found in Annex B of the report.
Business and Human Rights Resource Centre also reached out to the parent companies of car brands with more than one documented link to companies sourcing from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region or accepting labour transfers of Uyghurs outside Uyghur Region, and who hadn't previously commented. Mitsubishi Motors, Stellantis (Opel, Peugeot, Fiat, Jeep and Chrysler), Volkswagen (Volkswagen, Bentley, SEAT, Audi and FAW-Volkswagen), and NIO provided responses; available below. BAIC Motor (Beijing Mercedes Benz), China FAW Group (China FAW Group and FAW-Volkswagen), Dongfeng Motor, Ford, Guangzhou Automobile Group, Hyundai (Hyundai and KIA), Isuzu, Lucid Motors, Mazda, Mitsubishi Group, Porsche, Renault, SAIC Motor (SAIC Motor, SAIC-General Motors), Suzuki, Tata (Jaguar Land Rover), Tesla and Toyota did not or declined to respond.