By Fabio Teixeira RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) -Brazilian officials found 163 Chinese nationals working in "slavery-like conditions" at a construction site for a factory owned by Chinese electric vehicle producer BYD in Brazil's Bahia state,

"Slavery-like conditions", as defined by Brazilian law, include debt bondage and work that violates human dignity. The MPT added that the situation also constitutes "forced labour", as many workers had their wages withheld and faced excessive costs for terminating their contracts. BYD said affected workers had been moved to hotels.

BYD Co. has severed ties with a construction firm after Brazilian authorities halted construction of a new electric-vehicle plant where workers were found working and living in “slavery”-like conditions.

BYD, one of the world’s leading EV manufacturers, surpassed Elon Musk’s Tesla in EV sales during the final quarter of 2023. Brazil, BYD’s largest overseas market, has been central to the company’s global expansion efforts.

BYD has cut ties with its contractor Jinjiang Construction Brazil Ltd, and pledged to protect the rights of all subcontracted workers

During the series of inspections, which began in mid-November and will continue over the next few days, 163 workers were identified in conditions analogous to slavery at the outsourced company Jinjang,

Brazilian officials discovered 163 Chinese workers in slavery-like conditions at a BYD factory construction site in Bahia. Workers faced withheld passports, long hours, and unsafe environments, sparking an

About 163 workers were found in slavery-like conditions at a construction site for carmaker BYD in Brazil's Bahia state, labor authorities said during a press conference on Monday. According to authorities,