HRW reports forced labour in Chinese car manufacturing industry: summary

What we know

• Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a call to automakers, including Tesla, Volkswagen, and BYD, that manufacture cars in China, urging them to take additional measures to ensure that materials potentially produced using Uyghur forced labor do not enter their supply chains.
• The rights group presented evidence in a report indicating that Xinjiang aluminium producers had employed workers through Chinese government-backed labour transfer programs, Reuters reports.
• HRW accuses these programs of coercing Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims into jobs in Xinjiang and various other regions. The call underscores growing concerns and scrutiny over the use of forced labour in China's supply chains, particularly in the Xinjiang region.
• Rights groups, including Human Rights Watch (HRW), allege that Beijing has committed abuses against the Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority of approximately 10 million people in the Xinjiang region.
• The accusations include the mass use of forced labour in internment camps.
• China has consistently denied these allegations.

What they said

In response to these concerns, the rights groups, including HRW, are urging car companies such as Tesla, Volkswagen, and BYD to take proactive measures. The groups are calling on these companies to enhance the mapping of their supply chains and to immediately sever ties with any direct supplier located in Xinjiang until thorough due diligence can be conducted.  Senior researcher Jim Wormington said, “Car companies simply don’t know the extent of their links to forced labour in Xinjiang in their aluminium supply chains. Consumers should know their cars might contain materials linked to forced labour or other abuses in Xinjiang," Wormington said. Meanwhile, Toyota has stated that it will closely review the Human Rights Watch (HRW) report, emphasizing its expectation for suppliers to uphold human rights standards. General Motors has acknowledged the significance of responsible sourcing practices and highlighted its collaboration with partners and organisations to assess and address any potential violations in its supply chain. However, Tesla has yet to respond.