Why thousands of new Audis and Porsches are not allowed into the USA

A big problem for the Volkswagen Group. The US government has seized thousands of new Audis, Bentleys and Porsches at various ports.

The cars were shipped from Europe to the US and were on their way to American dealers, but they won’t get there for a while. They were immediately confiscated.

Prohibited components

According to the Financial Times, the American government has intervened because Audis, Bentleys and Porsches contain banned parts from China.

The United States passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in 2021, a law that bans the importation of Chinese forced labor goods.

Several thousand Audis

Several thousand Audis, several hundred Bentleys and around a thousand Porsches are said to have been confiscated. VW has sent a letter with an explanation to buyers of the cars.

Uyghur forced labor

The issue is said to have come to light when a supplier reported that a subcontractor from western China may be using Uyghur forced labor.

There are around 12 million Uyghurs living in the Xinjang region who are being oppressed by the Chinese government. There have been penal camps in which large numbers of Uyghurs have been imprisoned for ten years.

Replace small part

VW announces that it will immediately investigate the situation at its subcontractor. Of the thousands of cars currently stuck in American ports, a small electrical part needs to be replaced.

According to the manufacturer, work has already begun, but it will take weeks to “repair” all of these cars. Customers will therefore have to be patient for a while.

Joint venture in Xinjiang

It is not the first time that VW’s Chinese activities have come under scrutiny. The group operates a joint venture with SAIC in the capital Xinjiang.