Electric vehicle producer BYD brought hundreds of Chinese workers on irregular visas to build a factory in Brazil, a key labor inspector told Reuters on Tuesday, adding the company has pledged to comply with local labor laws for the workers remaining in the country.

RIO DE JANEIRO/SHANGHAI (Reuters) -Chinese workers at a construction site in Brazil for a factory owned by China's electric vehicle producer BYD are victims of human trafficking, Brazilian labor authorities said on Thursday in a growing controversy in BYD's biggest overseas market.

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Chinese automaker BYD (BYDDF) slammed reports regarding poor conditions at a Brazilian construction site where it is building a factory, arguing the allegations were aimed at ‘smearing’ China and Chinese brands,

BYD, which has denied allegations and blamed foreign forces for a smearing campaign, moved workers to nearby hotels as Brazilian prosecutors continue their probe

Brazilian authorities held a hearing on Friday to discuss the charges of human trafficking against Chinese automaker Build Your Dreams Auto Do Brasil (BYD Brazil) related to the treatment of 163

uthorities in Brazil said Friday they were probing Chinese auto giant BYD and one of its contractors ... denied the slavery allegation. The company said the accusations "seriously damaged the ...

More than 160 workers have been rescued in Brazil's northeastern state of Bahia ... passports and salaries withheld by a building company. BYD said in a statement that it had cut ties with ...

Brazil is the biggest overseas market for BYD. The Chinese EV maker has said ... as the two battled for top spot in the sector. The company has also been expanding its foothold in Brazil, which ...

Brazil is a significant market for BYD, with over 66,000 electric and hybrid vehicles sold in the country this year. However, worker abuse casts a shadow over the company’s operations and raises ...

BYD has been building the factory in Bahia to produce 150,000 cars initially as part of plans to start production in Brazil, the Chinese EV company’s largest overseas market, in early 2025.

An “elimination round” is likely to cull weaker players in a market dominated by EVs and plug-in hybrids. Among the early losers are foreign brands.