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Tesla, Volkswagen, and GM might be using metal from factories linked to forced Uyghur labor, researchers say

A worker at a steel factory in China.
A man working a smelter at a steel factory in China. Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images

  • Major car makers are at high risk for exposure to forced Uyghur labor, according to new research.
  • Sheffield Hallam University reports Uyghur workers extract and process steel and aluminum.
  • The alleged use of forced labor could disrupt efforts to ethically decarbonize the global supply chain.
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Many of the world's largest car manufacturers may be linked to the forced labor of Uyghurs, a Muslim minority group based in Xinjiang, China, according to new research from Sheffield Hallam University

Tesla, Volkswagen, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, and Stellantis — which includes brands like Fiat, Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep — were found to be at high risk for exposure to steel and aluminum processing factories that employ forced Uyghur labor, the researchers say.

After reviewing a trove of corporate and news reports, state media, and other publically available documents, the researchers said they found that at least thousands of Uyghurs have been forced to work in metal-processing factories in accordance to China's 'Made in China 2025' and poverty reduction policies. 

In its 2021 human rights report, the Biden Administration called China's treatment of the Uyghurs "genocide."

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Carmakers use steel and aluminum from China — which subsidizes production in the Xinjiang region — to create car frames, wheels, brakes, and bodies, according to the researchers. They are also tied to Chinese manufacturers that produce copper and nickel, as well as tires, interiors, batteries, and windshields for cars, researchers said.

Working conditions in Xinjiang-based metal factories are "utterly appalling," Kendyl Salcito, one of the researchers involved in the study, told Insider. 

Aluminum factory workers must labor in "incredibly hot conditions" as the smelter melts aluminum at high temperatures. Those who are tasked to clean ball mills — tools used to grind and crush minerals — are exposed to dangerous chemicals, the researchers say

The new report comes as countries like the US and Germany — some of the largest car producers in the world after China, per the researchers — have passed laws to eliminate forced labor in their supply chains.

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It's especially relevant now that many countries seek to decarbonize their supply chains and have agreed to do so in an ethical manner, Salcito said.

Other industries, like solar panel manufacturers, have recently been revealed to have similar ties to Uyghur labor.

Many of the car companies say they aren't aware that they are sourcing metals from the Uyghur region given the complexity of the supply chain, the research says.

A Volkswagen spokesperson told Insider that "it takes its corporate responsibility very seriously" and that "respect for human rights is the ethical basis of our business activities."

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"We reject forced labor and all forms of modern slavery including human trafficking," said Volkswagen. 

A Honda spokesperson told Insider that it "expects our suppliers to follow our Global Sustainability Guidelines with respect to labor."

A General Motors spokesperson told Insider that "we actively monitor our global supply chain and conduct extensive due diligence," and said that its code of conduct is informed by the United Nations Global Compact standards.

A Stellantis spokesperson referred Insider to its policy for responsible purchasing practices. Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, and Tesla did not respond to a request for comment ahead of publication.

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If car manufacturers continue to depend on Uyghur suppliers, it means that the "the automotive industry will have chosen to contribute to a slow burn genocide," Salcito said. 

The report recommends governments enact laws that ban imports linked to forced labor and for car companies to end relationships with suppliers based in Xinjiang.

"We need to see industry begging for alternative supply chains," Salcito said.

China Supply Chain
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