Overview
- Brazil’s Labor Ministry added BYD to the public “dirty list,” a registry of employers found to have used conditions analogous to slavery, and companies typically remain listed for two years unless a court orders removal.
- Labor inspectors and contracts described passports seized, most wages routed to China, an almost US$900 deposit held for six months, and workers packed into crowded housing with one bathroom for 31 people.
- The designation blocks access to some financing from Brazilian banks, including state development lender BNDES, and heightens reputational risk, yet the Camaçari car plant continues to operate.
- The federal labor prosecutor’s office sued BYD and contractors Jinjiang and Tecmonta in May 2025 seeking R$257 million over alleged human trafficking and slave-like conditions, and BYD’s deal with prosecutors but not with labor inspectors left it exposed to listing.
- BYD says it was unaware of violations and its contractor denies wrongdoing, while the Bahia factory has produced more than 25,000 vehicles since its October 2025 inauguration, raising questions about how loan limits could slow the company’s Brazil expansion plans.