Volkswagen has sold its plant in Xinjiang, a region in northwestern China beset by accusations of human rights abuses, citing “economic reasons.”

Germany's Volkswagen Group and its Chinese partner have sold a factory in the Xinjiang region of China, where accusations of forced labor dogged the facility for many years.

Earlier this year, the U.S. blocked imports of several Porsche, Bentley, and Audi vehicles amid concerns that they contained a Chinese-made part that violated U.S. forced labor laws.