The U.S. Homeland Security, along with other agencies, conducted a raid on the Fuyao glass factory in Ohio on July 26. The operation involved hundreds of special agents from Homeland Security, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations Division, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. The search took place at the Fuyao factory in Moraine and 27 other locations in the Dayton area.
According to U.S. Homeland Security, the reason for the raid was ”allegations of financial crimes and labor exploitation.” The investigation is currently ongoing.
Fuyao Group, established in China in 1987, is known for producing automotive safety glass and industrial technical glass. Its subsidiary in Ohio—Fuyao Glass America—was searched by U.S. federal agencies and local law enforcement on July 26.
In a statement issued by Fuyao Group on July 29, it was confirmed that Fuyao Glass America was not the target of the investigation but rather cooperating with authorities regarding a third-party labor service company.
During the search at Fuyao Glass America, some production operations were temporarily suspended but resumed later that day.
The automotive glass production plant located in Dayton is currently the world’s largest automotive glass factory owned by Fuyao Glass. It has a significant presence in the United States market with a production capacity of 4.5 million sets of automotive glass and 4 million pieces of automotive accessories.
Fuyao Glass America’s customers include major vehicle manufacturers such as GM, BMW, Ford, and Chrysler from both Europe and the United States.
The raids on Fuyao have attracted attention due to its status as a Chinese-owned enterprise operating within Ohio—a key swing state during U.S. elections.
While it remains unclear what evidence led to these investigations into possible violations of labor laws or financial crimes at Fuyao Glass America, previous reports have highlighted issues between management practices at Chinese-owned companies like Fuyao operating within American soil.
These recent developments may also be seen as part of broader tensions between China and Western countries amid an escalating trade war between China’s communist regime led by Xi Jinping and Western powers like United States under President Joe Biden administration.