• Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Supplier Directory
  • SCB YouTube
  • About Us
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Logout
  • My Profile
  • LOGISTICS
    • Air Cargo
    • All Logistics
    • Facility Location Planning
    • Freight Forwarding/Customs Brokerage
    • Global Gateways
    • Global Logistics
    • Last Mile Delivery
    • Logistics Outsourcing
    • LTL/Truckload Services
    • Ocean Transportation
    • Parcel & Express
    • Rail & Intermodal
    • Reverse Logistics
    • Service Parts Management
    • Transportation & Distribution
  • TECHNOLOGY
    • All Technology
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud & On-Demand Systems
    • Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain)
    • ERP & Enterprise Systems
    • Forecasting & Demand Planning
    • Global Trade Management
    • Inventory Planning/ Optimization
    • Product Lifecycle Management
    • Robotics
    • Sales & Operations Planning
    • SC Finance & Revenue Management
    • SC Planning & Optimization
    • Supply Chain Visibility
    • Transportation Management
  • GENERAL SCM
    • Business Strategy Alignment
    • Customer Relationship Management
    • Education & Professional Development
    • Global Supply Chain Management
    • Global Trade & Economics
    • Green Energy
    • HR & Labor Management
    • Quality & Metrics
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
    • SC Security & Risk Mgmt
    • Supply Chains in Crisis
    • Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility
  • WAREHOUSING
    • All Warehouse Services
    • Conveyors & Sortation
    • Lift Trucks & AGVs
    • Order Management & Fulfillment
    • Packaging
    • RFID, Barcode, Mobility & Voice
    • Warehouse Automation
    • Warehouse Management Systems
  • INDUSTRIES
    • Aerospace & Defense
    • Apparel
    • Automotive
    • Chemicals & Energy
    • Consumer Packaged Goods
    • E-Commerce/Omni-Channel
    • Food & Beverage
    • Healthcare
    • High-Tech/Electronics
    • Industrial Manufacturing
    • Pharmaceutical/Biotech
    • Retail
  • THINK TANK
  • WEBINARS
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
    • Webinar Library
  • PODCASTS
  • WHITEPAPERS
  • VIDEOS
Home » Report Links Car Supply Chain to Forced Labor in China

Report Links Car Supply Chain to Forced Labor in China

A HAND HOLDS UP A SIGN THAT READS STOP GENOCIDE AGAINST UYGHURS

Photo: iStock.com/Andrii Koval

December 8, 2022
SupplyChainBrain

A new report has found massive and expanding links between western car brands and abuses of Chinese Uyghurs, in everything from the hood decals and car frames to engine casings, interiors and electronics.

The report, from a team of researchers led by Laura T. Murphy, a professor of human rights and contemporary slavery at the U.K.’s Sheffield Hallam University, found 96 companies relevant to the auto industry mining, processing, or manufacturing in the Uyghur Region, including 38 with documented engagement in labor transfer programs. The authors say more than 100 international car and car parts manufacturers are at risk of sourcing from those companies.

“Consumers do not want cars made through exploitation. But a combination of China's systematic repression of the Uyghurs and opaque supply chains has allowed the automotive industry to become reliant on abusive suppliers,” the authors said in a statement issued December 7. They say every major car brand — including Volkswagen, BMW, Honda, Ford, GM, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Stellantis brands (like Fiat, Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep), Tesla and NIO — is at high risk of sourcing from companies linked to abuses in the Uyghur region.

“Some are sourcing electronics from firms that are employing trafficked Uyghurs in factories in other parts of China. Some are unwittingly sourcing metals from the Uyghur region, because metal trading companies own equity in Xinjiang smelters. Some of the greatest exposure comes from the steel and aluminum used to make car frames, axels, bodies, engine casings, wheels and brakes. The world’s largest steel and aluminum producers have shifted into the Uyghur Region under Chinese government subsidies and incentives. But tires, interiors, windshields, batteries and practically every other major part are also implicated,” the report stated.

“The auto industry cannot wait another day to trace their supply chains back to the raw materials,” the authors concluded. “To do anything short of full tracing would be an enormous legal, ethical, and reputational risk.”

    RELATED CONTENT

    RELATED VIDEOS

    Logistics Global Logistics Global Trade & Economics Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility Automotive Industrial Manufacturing
    • Related Articles

      Watch: Can We Finally Put a Stop to Forced Labor in China?

      Nearly a Fifth of Tested Cotton Products Linked to Forced Labor in China

      U.K., Europe, Doing Little to Address Forced Labor in China’s Seafood Industry

    • Related Directories

      ProcureAbility

    SupplyChainBrain

    C.H. Robinson Launches Self-Service Digital Freight Tool

    More from this author

    Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter!

    Timely, incisive articles delivered directly to your inbox.

    Featured Product

    Popular Stories

    • Businessman using AI agent system on laptop computer.

      AI in Supply Chain Can’t Succeed Without Foundational Systems

      Artificial Intelligence
    • A LARGE CYLINDRICAL OBJECT SHRINK-WRAPPED IN WHITE PLASTIC IS LOWERED BY CRANE ONTO A FLAT BED TRUCK ON A DOCK

      AI Boom Has European Buyers Paying Extra to Secure Gas Turbines

      Technology
    • DOMINO EFFECT FINANCIAL MONEY KNOCK-ON CONSEQUENCES iStock-Devrimb-1500012566.jpg

      Podcast | The Tariff Conundrum for Supply Chains: Pass Along, or Absorb?

      Supply Chain Finance & Revenue Management
    • 016_ai_and_data_transformation_in_distribution_v1-(540p).png

      Watch: AI and Data Transformation in Distribution

      Artificial Intelligence
    • TWO WORKERS DISCUSS DATA SHOWN ON COMPUTER SCREENS

      Gartner: Gap in SC AI Talent Cannot Be Closed by Hiring Alone

      Artificial Intelligence

    Digital Edition

    2026 esg cover main scb q2 2026 cover

    SupplyChainBrain 2026 ESG Guide: ESG — The Supply Chain’s Biggest Secret

    VIEW THE LATEST ISSUE

    Case Studies

    • Recycled Tagging Fasteners: Small Changes Make a Big Impact

    • A GRAPHIC SHOWING MULTIPLE FORMS OF SHIPPING, WITH A HUMAN STANDING AT THE CENTER, TOUCHING A SYMBOLIC MAP OF THE WORLD

      Enhancing High-Value Electronics Shipment Security with Tive's Real-Time Tracking

    • A GRAPHIC OF INTERLACING HONEYCOMBED ELEMENTS REPRESENTING GLOBAL BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS

      Moving Robots Site-to-Site

    • JLL Finds Perfect Warehouse Location, Leading to $15M Grant for Startup

    • Robots Speed Fulfillment to Help Apparel Company Scale for Growth

    Visit Our Sponsors

    4flow Arkieva Blue Yonder
    Carton Cloud CoEnterprise Dassault
    Duravant E2Open General Logistics Systems
    Hy-Tek iGPS Korber
    Lyngsoe Procurability Quinyx
    SAP Sikick Systech
    S&P Global Mobility TADA TransImpact
    US Bank Werner Enterprises WSI
    • More From SCB
      • Featured Content
      • Video Library
      • Think Tank Blog
      • SupplyChainBrain Podcast
      • Whitepapers
      • On-Demand Webinars
      • Upcoming Webinars
    • Digital Offerings
      • Digital Issue
      • Subscribe
      • Manage Email Preferences
      • Newsletters
    • Resources
      • Events Calendar
      • 2026 Event Coverage
      • SCB's Great Supply Chain Partners
      • Supplier Directory
      • Case Study Showcase
      • Supply Chain Innovation Awards
      • 100 Great Partners Form
    • SCB Corporate
      • Advertise on SCB.COM
      • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Contact Us
      • Data Sharing Opt-Out

    All content copyright ©2026 Keller International Publishing Corp All rights reserved. No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Keller International Publishing Corp

    Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing