Thousands of premium cars were detained at US customs because of one Chinese part.
It turned out that Porsche, Bentley and Audi cars are equipped with a prohibited electronic component. It was made in western China, where, according to US authorities, forced labor of Uyghurs is used.
The Volkswagen Group was allegedly unaware of the part's origin, but immediately notified US authorities when it received information from the supplier.
The US has a special law to prevent forced labor of Uyghurs. It bans imports from Xinjiang because the region believes Uyghurs and other minorities are suffering.. China's ruling party denies these accusations.
Volkswagen has a plant in the Xinjiang capital Urumqi – a joint venture with the Chinese corporation SAIC. The German auto giant has repeatedly come under attack from activists, but noted that local residents are “much better off” with the presence of a large manufacturer, since it provides them with work. In particular, accusations of exploitation were one of the reasons why a cake was thrown at a member of the company's supervisory board last spring.
Volkswagen said it was working to resolve the delay and was also considering “new scenarios” for working with SAIC, including terminating relationships with certain suppliers.. The company also apologized and promised to keep in touch with every customer.