Brazilian prosecutors sue China's BYD over allegations of slave-like labor conditions
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilian prosecutors said Tuesday they are suing Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD and two of its contractors over allegations of using workers in slave-like labor conditions and engaging in international human trafficking.
The labor prosecutors' office in Bahia state said in a statement that they are seeking 257 million Brazilian reais ($50 million) in damages from BYD, China JinJiang Construction Brazil and Tecmonta Equipamentos Inteligentes.
The lawsuit stems from an investigation that led to the rescue last year of 220 Chinese workers from the construction site of BYD's new factory in the city of Camaçari. Prosecutors said the workers were brought to Brazil under false pretenses and with visas that did not match their jobs.
'Working conditions were extremely degrading. Five settlements were kept by BYD, JinJiang and Tecmonta. Some workers slept on beds without mattresses and had their personal belongings alongside with their food,' the prosecutors' office said. 'There were few bathrooms, which were not gender-assigned. In one of the settlements, there was one toilet for 31 people, forcing workers to wake up at 4 a.m. for their personal hygiene before their work.'
BYD did not comment after a request from The Associated Press. In December, a spokesperson for the Chinese automaker objected to reports about poor conditions at the construction site in Brazil, saying the allegations were aimed at 'smearing' China and Chinese brands.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
3 hours ago
- Bloomberg
Social Media Firms Accountable for Posts, Brazil Judges Conclude
Brazil's Supreme Court formed a majority in favor of further regulating social media companies, the latest effort by authorities to hold tech giants accountable for illegal content posted on their platforms. Justice Gilmar Mendes on Wednesday evening became the sixth of the court's 11 judges to vote that websites such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X should be responsible for taking down fake news and vitriolic content even before legal orders to do so, and can face sanctions if they don't.
Miami Herald
4 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Xiaomi SU7 Ultra Shattered Rimac's Nurburgring Lap Record
Chinese electric cars have been on the lips of Western automaking rivals for quite some time. The rise of companies like BYD, Zeekr, and NIO has put the auto market on watch in recent years for their low-priced cars loaded with extensive tech and luxury features. However, one company that stood out as the odd one was consumer electronics giant Xiaomi. The company, known for its smartphones and wearables, launched its first car in March 2024-a $30,000 supercar-styled electric sports sedan called the SU7. Throughout 2024, the SU7 became one of China's hot-selling vehicles, delivering more than 135,000 units last year, including one used by Ford CEO Jim Farley, who admitted he "couldn't give it up" during an October 2024 podcast appearance. The success of the SU7 has led the tech giant to go all-in on a high-performance version called the Ultra. Last October, the company published a video showing a stripped-down, race-ready SU7 Ultra prototype lapping the Nürburgring in just 6 minutes and 46.8 seconds, faster than more expensive EVs like the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT and even the multi-million dollar Rimac Nevera. Although Xiaomi recorded 3,680 pre-orders in just 10 minutes when the website opened on October 29 last year, unfortunately, the SU7 Ultra that consumers got was far less racecar-like than the prototype that lapped the Ring. It featured Alcantara-trimmed seats and far less aggressive aerodynamics, including a prominent rear wing, a functional front splitter, and enlarged air intakes for the car's upgraded cooling package. However, in a new video released by Xiaomi on its social media channels, the consumer-grade, production version of the SU7 Ultra shattered Nurburgring lap records by securing the title of fastest production EV to lap the Green Hell, posting a verified lap time of 7:04.957. Although the production SU7 Ultra's lap time is approximately 18 seconds slower than the stripped-down, race-ready prototype, it still outperformed some more prestigious and expensive rivals. The $74,000 SU7 Ultra's flying lap not only surpassed the $231,100 Porsche Taycan Turbo GT, which recorded a time of 7:07.55, but it also beat the multi-million dollar Rimac Nevera, which previously held the production car lap record with a time of 7:05.298. According to Xiaomi, the SU7 Ultra is powered by a trio of electric motors producing 1,526 horsepower. The automaker claims that the SU7 Ultra can go from 0 to 60 in just 1.98 seconds and has a top speed of 217 miles per hour. In the video of the record lap, the SU7 is shown reaching 345 km/h, or 214 mph, on the long straight before the final corner of the Nordschleife. In a translated post on Weibo, Xiaomi founder, chairman, and CEO Lei Jun noted that the car used in the video was piloted by Vincent Radermecker and used the optional "professional track package." According to the Xiaomi website, the optional package includes a smattering of racing-grade goodies from a lion's den of aftermarket suppliers, including Bilstein EVO R coilover shock absorbers specially developed for the Ultra, ENDLESS high-performance brake pads, Pirelli P ZERO fifth-generation high-performance tires, an additional set of Pirelli P ZERO TROFEO RS semi-slick tires, as well as 21-inch U-shaped forged wheel hubs, carbon fiber rear wheel arches, and a carbon fiber roof. In his post on Chinese social media, the Xiaomi figurehead noted that this won't be the last time the SU7 Ultra will post a Ring time. "I believe that this record will be broken in the near future," Jun said, translated from Chinese. "We will stay in the Nürburgring for a long time, and make progress together with the world's top peers in the pinnacle of the global automotive industry!" Although Xiaomi's time is a far cry from the Mercedes-AMG One's record for the fastest production vehicle of 6 minutes and 29 seconds, it really shows that a country that has been written off as making low-quality, disposable things in general has the capability to disrupt, and as what we seen so far, they are doing more than just knocking down doors and walls; they're building a new house on the old lot. It will be very interesting to see if a rebuttal in the form of a potentially faster car will emerge from any of the Western "old guard." Tesla, Porsche, Rimac, the ball is in your court. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Bloomberg
6 hours ago
- Bloomberg
Brazil Top Court Forms Majority to Boost Social Media Oversight
Brazil's Supreme Court formed a majority in favor of further regulating social media companies, the latest effort by authorities to hold tech giants accountable for illegal content posted on their platforms. Justice Gilmar Mendes on Wednesday evening became the sixth of the court's 11 judges to vote that websites such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X should be responsible for taking down fake news and vitriolic content even before legal orders to do so, and can face sanctions if they don't.
