Authorities rescued 163 workers living in inhumane conditions, prompting BYD to sever ties with its construction partner.

The growing controversy in the automaker's biggest overseas market has put a spotlight on immigrant worker conditions in the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. A deal with labor prosecutors involving BYD and the Jinjiang Group could be inked as soon as Jan.

Construction at BYD’s new EV plant in Brazil was suddenly halted Monday after authorities found Chinese workers in “slavery-like”