Senator Ron Wyden, the president of the US Senate Finance Committee, has announced an expansion of an investigation into German car manufacturer BMW following accusations that they used electronic components from a banned Chinese supplier. Last month, Wyden revealed that BMW had imported over 8,000 Mini Cooper vehicles into the United States with parts from the banned Chinese supplier Jingweida Technology Group (JWD). The company continued to import products with these banned components until at least April.
In a recent letter to BMW North America CEO Sebastian Mackensen, Wyden requested information on whether the automaker had completed a thorough examination of its supply chain to identify any other imported products containing parts from JWD. The letter also asked BMW to confirm whether they are currently importing vehicles with components produced by JWD. Wyden set a deadline for responses by June 21st.
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) was passed by Congress in 2021 to enhance enforcement of laws designed to prevent the importation of goods believed to be produced with forced labor from China’s Xinjiang region, where the Uighur minority group resides. China has denied these allegations and claims that there are no labor camps in Xinjiang and that all citizens have equal rights under Chinese law.