Brazilian authorities have suspended the issuance of temporary work visas for BYD in the wake of accusations that some workers at a site owned by the Chinese electric vehicle producer had been victims of human trafficking,

Authorities in Brazil said Friday they are probing Chinese auto giant BYD and one of its contractors for suspected "trafficking" of Chinese workers building a factory in the South American country. Federal prosecutors in Brazil are weighing possible criminal action after labor inspectors

RIO DE JANEIRO/SHANGHAI (Reuters) -Chinese workers at a construction site in Brazil for a factory owned by China's electric vehicle producer BYD are victims of human trafficking, Brazilian labor authorities said on Thursday in a growing controversy in BYD's biggest overseas market.

Brazilian authorities have suspended the issuance of temporary work visas for Chinese electric vehicle producer BYD, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday. The announcement came days after labor authorities said they found 163 Chinese workers in "slavery-like" conditions at a BYD factory construction site in the northeastern state of Bahia.

Announcement came days after labour authorities also said they found Chinese workers at factory in Bahia were victims of human trafficking.