“Brazil prosecutors sue Chinese carmaker BYD for violating labor rights”, May 27, 2025

Brazilian labor prosecutors filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against Chinese carmaker BYD, holding it responsible for human trafficking and "slavery-like conditions" for workers building a factory in its biggest market outside China... The lawsuit seeks 257 million reais ($45 million) in moral damages from BYD and two contractors, JinJiang and Tecmonta, along with individual compensation for workers.

Prosecutors are also seeking a fine of 50,000 reais for each labor rule breach, multiplied by the number of affected workers. BYD said it is committed to upholding human rights and that it has been cooperating with prosecutors... The company stated it will respond to the lawsuit in court documents.

In December, prosecutors said 220 Chinese workers hired by BYD contractors in Bahia were found working in "slavery-like conditions" and were victims of international human trafficking... Although the workers have since returned to China, deputy labor prosecutor Fabio Leal said they would receive any payouts from a lawsuit there, and the companies in Brazil are responsible for proving the payments. He added that the lawsuit is well-founded, with substantial evidence, and a settlement is still possible, now through the courts...