Brazil Sues China’s BYD Over ‘Slavery’ Conditions on Build Site

Screenshots from a dormitory housing some of the 160 Chinese workers at BYD construction site that Brazilian authorities described as "slave like conditions." AFP

Brazilian prosecutors are suing Chinese electric car giant BYD and two contracting companies for human trafficking and alleged slave labor conditions at a build site, according to legal documents seen by AFP Thursday.

The case concerns 220 Chinese workers found last December in conditions “analogous to slavery” at a BYD plant under construction in Camacari, in the northeastern state of Bahia.

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest China-Africa news and analysis.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China-Africa relations.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in Africa and throughout the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

OR

Already a subscriber? Log in Click Here to Learn More
by Eric Olander

Most Read

1
Developing Countries’ Debt Servicing Costs to China Are Significant, but Nowhere Near as Much as Other Creditors
2
China, U.S. Ink Rare Earth Deal; More Trade Pacts Coming
3
Rubio to Welcome Asian ‘Quad’ Back to Washington
4
Chinese-Moroccan Joint Venture Inaugurates EV Battery Parts Plant
5
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Appoints “Tiger-Fighter’ as New Leader
6
Six Million Donkeys Slaughtered for Chinese Medicine: Charity

You Might Like

Brazil’s Lula to Visit China Ahead of Regional Summit

Brazil’s president will begin a five-day trip to China on Saturday, Beijing announced, ahead of a gathering of Latin American leaders in the country next week. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s state visit ...

China, EU Suspend Brazil Chicken Imports Over Bird Flu

China and the European Union have suspended imports of chicken meat from Brazil, the world’s biggest exporter of the commodity, after an outbreak of bird flu on a farm in the South American country, ...

BYD’s Brazil Scandal Sparks Rare Self-Reflection in China

When news broke that Chinese automaker BYD was being sued in Brazil for labor violations involving over 220 Chinese workers, the reaction on Chinese social media was swift and defensive. Conspiracy theories surged—some claimed ...

3 Tips for African Negotiators Doing Deals with China

Two of the world’s leading experts in China-Africa negotiations, Hervé Lado, Guinea country manager at the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) and Folashadé Soulé, a senior research associate at the University of Oxford, led ...

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

More about CGSP