What Automotive Suppliers Are Being Asked For

Automotive suppliers have begun to face an avalanche of data requests from vehicle makers and regulators requiring information on the origin of parts and raw materials. What is driving this sudden interest in deep-tier supply chain mapping for the auto industry?

The Push for Tier-n Visibility

General Motors’ global RFQ and GM1700 guidelines require Tier 1 sites to map supply chains down to raw minerals and update them manually. Major automakers—including Ford, GM, Honda, Nissan, Stellantis, and Toyota—have aligned on AIAG’s Due Diligence Reporting Template (DDRT), making annual reporting mandatory starting in 2026 to track supplier screening and software tools. In Europe, Catena-X enables partners like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Schaeffler to exchange traceability and footprint data across tiers.

Because of the strict nature of these requests, inferred mapping via trade records is not sufficient to meet automakers' needs. A formal declaration to an OEM or customs broker still requires verified confirmations directly from the suppliers themselves.

The Regulatory Drivers

A convergence of strict global mandates is accelerating this push:

• Forced Labor: 19 U.S.C. § 1307 prohibits goods made with forced labor at any tier. The forthcoming EU Forced Labour Regulation will require also require supply chain disclosures during investigations.

• Batteries & Critical Minerals: The EU Battery Regulation mandates digital battery passports starting February 18, 2027, followed by audited due diligence for cobalt, lithium, nickel, and natural graphite on August 18, 2027. U.S. Section 45X tax credit claimants face penalties unless they certify that battery materials are not sourced from prohibited foreign entities.

• Deforestation (EUDR): EU-bound tires, seals must be accompanied by rubber plantation plot-level geolocations demonstrated deforestatin-free.

• Defense & Tariffs: Executive Order 14415 directs defense contractors to provide an indented bill of materials tracing raw-material origins.Section 232 tariffs mandate reporting on where steel was melted and poured and where aluminum and copper were smelted and cast.

Collect Once, Reuse Everywhere

Nearly every reporting mandate relies on the same fundamental data:

• Supplier identities across each tier

• Manufacturing facilities per component

• Smelter, refiner, or mill origins for raw metals and minerals

• Ownership structures, value/weight shares, and signed attestations

Sourcemap collects this data once to reuse across multiple customers and regulations. Suppliers receive consolidated inquiries using familiar templates (like DDRT, CMRT, and EMRT) and cascade them down to raw material extractors. Every newly uncovered supplier is automatically screened against watchlists covering over 100,000 entities—and the platform remains completely free for suppliers.

To map your parts and eliminate reporting redundancies, contact info@sourcemap.com.