BRAZIL SHUTS DOWN CHINESE-RUN ELECTRIC VEHICLE FACTORY DUE TO ALLEGATIONS OF SERVITUDE
Brazil has shut down a Chinese-run electric vehicle factory, stating that workers’ conditions amount to “slavery”. The factory, operated by BYD, is located in Camaçari city and was the company’s first site outside China. The public prosecutor reported a range of poor working conditions, including workers being forced to sleep on beds without mattresses, sharing one bathroom between 31 employees, and having their passports and wages withheld.
BYD, which has expanded rapidly in recent years, sold more electric vehicles than Tesla in the last quarter of 2023. Brazil is BYD’s largest overseas market by a significant margin.
China’s growth in the electric vehicle market, fueled by heavy government subsidies seen as unfair by rivals, has sparked global concern. In response, the EU and US have imposed retaliatory tariffs.
