Brazil has stopped issuing temporary work visas for BYD the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday, in the wake of accusations that some workers at a site owned by the Chinese electric vehicle producer had been victims of human trafficking.
The announcement came days after labor authorities said they found 163 Chinese workers who had been brought to Brazil irregularly in "slavery-like" conditions at the BYD factory construction site in the northeastern state of Bahia.
The workers were employed by contractor Jinjiang Group, which has denied any wrongdoing.
Later, the authorities also said the workers were victims of human trafficking. According to the foreign ministry, the workers entered Brazil on temporary work visas.
The factory has become a symbol of China's growing influence in the South American nation and an example of a closer relationship between both countries. BYD has invested $620 million to set up the Bahia factory complex alone.
Brazil is the biggest overseas market for BYD, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ministry's decision.
The Chinese EV maker has said it plans to start production in Brazil early next year with an initial annual output of 150,000 cars.
Brazil's Ministry of Justice said in a separate statement on Friday that if irregularities found by prosecutors in the BYD factory are confirmed, it would revoke the residence permits it had issued to the Chinese workers.
The Ministry of Justice had already sent a request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to suspend BYD temporary visa issuance on Dec. 20, three days before the labor authorities' findings were made public, according to a source with knowledge of the communication.
The order was then forwarded to Brazil's embassy in Beijing, the source added.
In a social media post on Thursday - reposted by a BYD spokesperson, Jinjiang Group - rejected the Brazilian authorities' accusations about the work conditions at the Bahia site.
The contractor said the portrayal of the workers as "enslaved" was inaccurate and that there had been translation misunderstandings.
BYD and Jinjiang Group have agreed to assist and house the 163 workers in hotels until a deal to end their contracts is reached, the Brazilian Labor Prosecutor's Office said in a statement on Thursday, after meeting representatives from both firms.
Nearly one in five cars BYD sold outside of China in the first 11 months of 2024 was in Brazil.
Welcome to our live coverage as the conflict involving Iran enters its 11th day. Tensions in the region remain high as the United States and Iran e...
The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan has approved a new programme aimed at develop...
Kazakhstan has evacuated 8,585 citizens from Middle Eastern countries as regional tensions escalate. Authorities a...
The United States has designated Afghanistan a “State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention”, accusing the ...
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, has addressed the U.N. Security Council, saying the world must consider how effective ...
Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies has approved an historic free trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union, moving the long-delayed pact closer to implementation.
The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in Brazil’s Minas Gerais state has risen to 46, authorities said, with 21 people still reported missing. The storms triggered landslides and widespread flooding, displacing thousands across Juiz de Fora and Uba.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has said he will urge U.S. President Donald Trump to avoid a "new Cold War" when the two leaders meet in Washington next month.
India and Brazil signed a mining and minerals cooperation pact on Saturday (21 February), as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the two countries aim to increase bilateral trade to more than $20 billion within five years.
Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is a hardline cleric with strong backing from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His rise signals continuity in Tehran's anti-Western policies.
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled on.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Welcome to our live coverage as the conflict involving Iran enters its 11th day. Tensions in the region remain high as the United States and Iran exchange increasingly sharp warnings over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil supplies.
Entry and exit across the state border between Azerbaijan and Iran for all types of cargo vehicles, including those in transit, will resume on 9 March, according to a statement by the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, has addressed the U.N. Security Council, saying the world must consider how effective its engagement with the Taliban-run country is as millions face hunger.
British MPs have rejected a proposal to introduce an Australia-style ban on social media for under-16s, opting instead to give ministers flexible powers to impose restrictions on platforms.
Australia has granted humanitarian visas to five Iranian women footballers who sought asylum, fearing persecution after refusing to sing their national anthem at an Asia Cup match.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 10th of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. President Donald Trump called his recent phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin “very good.” The two leaders spoke on Monday about the situation in Iran and other international issues.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment