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3mo ago

Brazil Sues BYD and Contractors over Human Trafficking and Slave-Like Labor

Prosecutors demand 257 million reais in collective moral damages with individual payouts for 220 Chinese workers rescued from slave-like conditions last December.

A view of the construction site of BYD's electric vehicle factory at the Industrial Complex in the city of Camacari, in the state of Bahia, Brazil, January 9, 2025.
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A BYD Brazil factory under construction in Camaçari, Brazil, on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025.
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Overview

  • On May 27, Bahia’s labor prosecutors filed a lawsuit against BYD, China JinJiang Construction Brazil and Tecmonta Equipamentos Inteligentes alleging human trafficking and forced labor at a new EV factory site in Camaçari.
  • The suit seeks 257 million reais in collective moral damages, 50,000 reais fines per violation and individual compensation for each of the 220 affected workers.
  • Investigators say the workers were brought under false visa pretenses and subjected to armed surveillance, passport confiscation and withholding of up to 70 percent of their wages.
  • Authorities found degrading dormitory conditions including beds without mattresses, overcrowded bathrooms with as many as 31 workers per toilet and no guaranteed weekly rest.
  • BYD has broken its contract with contractor JinJiang, reaffirmed its commitment to human rights, pledged cooperation with labor prosecutors and plans to contest the lawsuit in court.