BYD has been building the factory with an annual capacity of producing 150,000 cars initially in Brazil, the Chinese EV giant's largest overseas market, as part of plans to start production there.

A task force led by Brazilian prosecutors said it had rescued 163 Chinese nationals it said were working in “slavery-like” conditions at the site.

A contractor for Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD on Thursday denied claims that Chinese nationals were working in “slavery-like conditions” at a construction site for the carmaker’s factory in Brazil.