By Fabio Teixeira and Luciana Magalhaes -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,

By Fabio Teixeira RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) -Chinese workers found at a construction site for a factory owned by China's electric vehicle producer BYD in Brazil's Bahia state are victims of human trafficking,

BYD has been building the factory with an annual capacity of producing 150,000 cars initially in Brazil, the Chinese EV giant's largest overseas market, as part of plans to start production there.

Authorities rescued 163 workers living in inhumane conditions, prompting BYD to sever ties with its construction partner.

A spokesperson for Chinese automaker BYD has objected to reports about poor conditions at a construction site in Brazil where it is building a factory, saying the allegations were aimed at “smearing”

China's Jinjiang Group is in the spotlight after Brazil's labour authorities said workers at a factory it is building for electric vehicle maker BYD were victims of human trafficking working in "slavery-like conditions".

Brazilian authorities found dozens Chinese workers in poor abusive conditions at construction site in northeastern Brazil, where Chinese electric car company BYD is building a factory - Anadolu Ajansı

A task force said it had rescued 163 Chinese nationals who were working in “slavery-like” conditions at BYD’s construction site in northeastern Brazil.

Jinjiang Group, a contractor for giant Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD ... their passports to the company for help with applying for a temporary ID certificate in Brazil.

Authorities in Brazil said Friday they are probing Chinese auto giant BYD and one of its contractors for suspected "trafficking" of Chinese workers building a factory in the South American country.The workers,

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.