Former Ford Plant May Have Employed ‘Slavery-Like Conditions’

China-based automaker BYD has grown by leaps and bounds as of late, even if it doesn’t currently operate in markets such as the U.S. and Canada due to tariffs. In fact, BYD is on track to surpass both Ford and Honda in terms of global sales in 2024, a shocking development – and on top of that, it’s also on pace to sell around six millions vehicles over the next 12 months, which would make it one of the world’s top-selling automakers, putting it in the company of General Motors and Stellantis. Now, however, BYD is facing some serious allegations at the site of a former Ford plant that it now owns.

According to Reuters, Brazilian labor authorities said last week that they found 163 Chinese nationals working in “slavery-like conditions” at a construction site for a BYD-owned factory in that country’s Bahia state. The site was sold by Ford to the state of Bahia back in December 2023 after the automaker ceased its manufacturing operations in Brazil, though BYD has since been working to transform it into a major EV hub of its own.

The renovation of the former Ford site is being spearheaded by Chinese contractor Jinjiang Group, which has denied these allegations. “Being unjustly labeled as ‘enslaved’ has made our employees feel that their dignity has been insulted and their human rights violated, seriously hurting the dignity of the Chinese people. We have signed a joint letter to express our true feelings,” Jinjiang said in a statement. Li Yunfei, general manager of branding and public relations at BYD, also accused labor authorities of “deliberately smearing Chinese brands and the country and undermining the relationship between China and Brazil.”

Jinjiang has also stated that translation issues are to blame for what it calls a misunderstanding, as well as cultural differences. Meanwhile, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, noted that the Chinese embassy in Brazil is working with authorities there to sort things out.