Xinjiang Zhonghe Co. Ltd. / Joinworld

Aluminum, aluminum products

Xinjiang Zhonghe Co., Ltd. (also known as “Xinjiang Joinworld”) is an aluminum smelter, alloying company and products manufacturer. TBEA, one of China’s largest transformer producers, owns 32.3% of Joinworld’s shares. Joinworld produces 180,000 tons of aluminum annually and is the world’s largest manufacturer of high-purity aluminum, exporting products to Japan, Europe, South Korea and the US.

Automotive electronics rely on high-purity aluminum; each electric vehicle needs at least four high-voltage large-capacity aluminum electrolytic capacitors used in battery charging, voltage conversion, inverter and other circuits. Joinworld produces these as well as the foil used in reflectors on headlights; the aluminum in microchips and flat-panel displays; and the mechanical components, wiring and autobody parts of international brands.

see Horizon Advisory, "Base Problem"

In addition to Joinworld’s facilitation of labor transfers and so-called “vocational training” documented by Horizon Advisory, Joinworld also reported on its “employment assistance” work in Saghan Township, Yengisar County in 2019. Establishing “1-ton bag processing cooperatives,” Joinworld “solved the employment problems” of 110 laborers, directly placing orders for the bags being sewn. Joinworld’s interventions in this Kashgar township expanded in 2020 and 2021; Joinworld began having local people sew canvas shoe covers, work caps, aprons and other Joinworld uniforms. It is unclear to what extent Joinworld’s transferred laborers are directly employed in its Ürümchi facility. Nonetheless, because Joinworld so avidly participates in these programs and is such a significant supplier to automotive-relevant manufacturers, it is critical to understand how its products may affect global supply chains.