Report alleges use of Uyghur Forced Labor in global auto supply chain

An aerial view shows manufactured vehicles before being loaded onto a cargo ship at the Yantai Port in eastern China's Shandong Province, Dec. 7, 2021. [AP Photo]

A report issued this week alleges that the supply chain serving the global automobile industry is deeply intertwined with companies that either make direct use of forced labor in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, or that purchase raw materials and other products from companies that do.

Written by a team of researchers at Sheffield Hallam University in the United Kingdom, the report, titled "Driving Force," alleges that most auto manufacturers in the world use parts that are sourced either directly or indirectly from the Xinjiang region, and urges both carmakers and governments around the world to sever those connections.