A BBC News Brasil investigation looks at how BYD’s complex in Camaçari, Bahia, is reshaping a city and reviving the site of Ford’s former Brazilian factory, which closed in 2021. The plant has assembled more than 100,000 vehicles in under a year, initially using kits imported from China. Further stages of domestic manufacturing are expected to begin by the end of the year, according to the report.
BYD told the BBC it employs 7,618 people directly and aims to reach 10,000 by December. Foreign nationals make up 6% of its current workforce, or 457 people. The report contrasts those figures with online claims that more than 10,000 Chinese workers had arrived; visa data cited by the BBC showed just over 2,000 registrations for Chinese citizens in Camaçari and nearby Lauro de Freitas, mostly temporary. The influx is also affecting local life: one real-estate agent cited an approximately 50% increase in rents at a condominium, while residents pursue factory jobs and language lessons foster cultural exchange.
The investigation also covers labor complaints, including allegations of harassment and disputes over management practices. A labor prosecutor’s inquiry into harassment allegations was later closed for lack of evidence. BYD said it does not tolerate harassment or illegal conduct and has confidential reporting channels. The BBC also recalled the 2024 rescue of 163 Chinese workers during construction; BYD said a December agreement set R$40 million in payments by contractors, without a court conviction. The report places the plant in the wider China-US technology contest and says BYD surpassed Tesla in global EV sales the previous year.