--- title: VW audits Xinjiang plant as rights group pressures car makers description: Germany's top carmakers were challenged by a Berlin-based rights group over the extent of their due diligence to prevent forced labour in their supply chain image: https://blog.aiag.org/hubfs/BLOG/human%20rights%20note-blog.jpg --- [![White AIAG Logo - Uniting Minds.Elevating Standards.](https://blog.aiag.org/hs-fs/hubfs/White%20AIAG%20Logo%20-%20Uniting%20Minds.Elevating%20Standards..png?width=254&height=76&name=White%20AIAG%20Logo%20-%20Uniting%20Minds.Elevating%20Standards..png)](http://www.aiag.org/) [< Back to Blog Listings](https://blog.aiag.org/) # VW audits Xinjiang plant as rights group pressures car makers by [Victoria Waldersee and Jan Schwartz, Reuters](https://blog.aiag.org/author/victoria-waldersee-and-jan-schwartz-reuters) | Aug 01, 2023 ![human rights note-blog](https://blog.aiag.org/hs-fs/hubfs/BLOG/human%20rights%20note-blog.jpg?width=500&height=333&name=human%20rights%20note-blog.jpg) Germany's top carmakers were challenged by a Berlin-based rights group on Wednesday over the extent of their due diligence to prevent forced labour in their supply chain, as Volkswagen [(VOWG\_p.DE)](https://www.reuters.com/companies/VOWG_p.DE/) said it would conduct an audit at its plant in Xinjiang. Volkswagen, BMW [(BMWG.DE)](https://www.reuters.com/companies/BMWG.DE/) and Mercedes-Benz [(MBGn.DE)](https://www.reuters.com/companies/MBGn.DE/) were accused of providing insufficient proof that their efforts to track their suppliers in Xinjiang, China, complied with Germany's new supply chain law, according to the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR). Volkswagen said it was surprised by the allegations and was examining the complaint, filed by ECCHR with Germany's export control office BAFA. The carmaker [has a plant](https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/volkswagen-china-chief-visits-xinjiang-plant-sees-no-sign-forced-labour-2023-02-28/) in Xinjiang's capital which does not produce vehicles but runs quality checks on cars for sale in the region. Its China chief [visited the plant](https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/volkswagen-china-chief-visits-xinjiang-plant-sees-no-sign-forced-labour-2023-02-28/) earlier this year and said he saw no signs of forced labour, but the company has come under [heavy pressure from investors](https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/chinese-competition-xinjiang-plant-loom-large-volkswagen-investors-agm-2023-05-10/) and activists to do further due diligence. [Read full article here.](https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/german-carmakers-accused-not-complying-with-supply-chain-law-xinjiang-links-2023-06-21/) [![BLOG EN ESPAÑOL](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/385656/bc7b1564-c5cf-4ea9-82f8-50aaefb16345.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/385656/bc7b1564-c5cf-4ea9-82f8-50aaefb16345) --- ### Search Blog By Category - [Corporate Responsibility (284)](https://blog.aiag.org/topic/corporate-responsibility) - [CTPAT/AEO (2)](https://blog.aiag.org/topic/ctpat-aeo) - [CTS (7)](https://blog.aiag.org/topic/cts) - [Customs & Trade (18)](https://blog.aiag.org/topic/customs-trade) - [Cybersecurity (12)](https://blog.aiag.org/topic/cybersecurity) - [Environmental Sustainability (7)](https://blog.aiag.org/topic/environmental-sustainability) - [ESG (9)](https://blog.aiag.org/topic/esg) - [Events (163)](https://blog.aiag.org/topic/events) - [Finished Vehicle Logistics (3)](https://blog.aiag.org/topic/finished-vehicle-logistics) - [Forced Labor/Human Rights (19)](https://blog.aiag.org/topic/forced-labor-human-rights) - [Future Automotive Experts (FAE) (18)](https://blog.aiag.org/topic/future-automotive-experts-fae) - [German Due Diligence Act (1)](https://blog.aiag.org/topic/german-due-diligence-act) - [IATF 16949 (4)](https://blog.aiag.org/topic/iatf-16949) - [Membership & Volunteering (14)](https://blog.aiag.org/topic/membership-volunteering) - [MMOG/LE (2)](https://blog.aiag.org/topic/mmog-le) - [News (286)](https://blog.aiag.org/topic/news) - [Quality (395)](https://blog.aiag.org/topic/quality) - [Quality Core Tools (31)](https://blog.aiag.org/topic/quality-core-tools) - [Special Process Assessments (CQI's) (10)](https://blog.aiag.org/topic/special-process-assessments-cqis) - [Supply Chain Management (420)](https://blog.aiag.org/topic/supply-chain-management) - [SupplySafe (5)](https://blog.aiag.org/topic/supplysafe) - [Training (125)](https://blog.aiag.org/topic/training) - [USMCA (2)](https://blog.aiag.org/topic/usmca) - [Warranty Management (4)](https://blog.aiag.org/topic/warranty-management) - [All Posts](https://blog.aiag.org/) --- [![JOIN AIAG TODAY!](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/385656/f126a078-c813-4dfb-8e94-733bccc2ce6e.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/385656/f126a078-c813-4dfb-8e94-733bccc2ce6e) ### Subscribe to Email Updates ![](https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/viewthroughconversion/1066259640/?value=0&guid=ON&script=0) ![Quantcast](//pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-F7QHy7b3cbvyb\.gif?labels=_fp.event.Default;) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Victoria Waldersee and Jan Schwartz, Reuters", "url" : "https://blog.aiag.org/author/victoria-waldersee-and-jan-schwartz-reuters" }, "dateModified" : "2023-08-01T18:14:31.954Z", "datePublished" : "2023-08-01T18:14:31.000Z", "headline" : "VW audits Xinjiang plant as rights group pressures car makers", "image" : [ "https://blog.aiag.org/hubfs/BLOG/human%20rights%20note-blog.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.aiag.org/vw-audits-xinjiang-plant-as-rights-group-pressures-car-makers", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.aiag.org/hubfs/aiag_logo-2.png" }, "name" : "AIAG" } } ```