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

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.

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.

The 163 Chinese workers found by Brazil’s labor ministry in what it described as “slavery-like conditions” at a factory construction site owned by Chinese electric vehicle producer BYD 002594.SZ have been removed and taken to hotels,

Brazil has suspended temporary work visas for BYD following allegations of human trafficking at its construction site in Bahia. Labor authorities revealed 163 workers from China were brought under 'slavery-like' conditions by contractor Jinjiang Group.

Dozens of Chinese workers have been taken and put up in hotels in Brazil’s tropical northeastern region after local labor authorities found them at a construction site for electric vehicle automaker B

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".

According to 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, Brazili

Jinjiang Group has denied the allegations of "slavery-like conditions" for workers at BYD in Brazil and has not commented on the trafficking claims.