Sweden: Volvo cars may face boycott after Ukrainian govt. lists its parent company as intl. war sponsor, media reports
[Translation prepared by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre]
Automaker Volvo may face difficulties due to parent Geely listed as a war sponsor, 27 June 2023
A subsidiary of the Chinese automaker Geely, which was listed by the NAPC as an international sponsor of the war, Volvo Cars also experienced problems due to the position of the parent company.
The Swedish newspaper Dagens industri writes about this, reports liga.net.
It is noted that after the decision of Ukraine, the Swedish Ministry of Defense and the administration of Gothenburg, where the head office of Volvo is located, thought about declaring a boycott of the largest Swedish automaker.
"This is a nationwide issue that concerns most departments and organizations. Therefore, it is important that it is studied at the state level. The first contacts between departments have already taken place," Defense Ministry spokeswoman Marie Tiseter said.
Shareholders of the Volvo Group, where Geely owns an impressive block of shares, are also dissatisfied with the position of the Chinese Geely.
"It is unfortunate and pointless that Geely does not share our values on this issue. We have not changed our position. War is not fair. At the same time, Volvo Cars has an owner who has a different opinion, guided by the point of view of the Chinese state. It is unfortunate that Geely does not have a plan to wind down operations in Russia,” Anders Oskarsson, a representative of the AMF pension fund, told the publication (the third largest shareholder of the Volvo Group with 5.4%, Geely is the second with 16%).
Oskarsson warned that because of Geely, the Volvo brand could face difficulties in selling cars...