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.

Brazil has suspended temporary work visas for BYD following allegations of human trafficking at its construction site in Bahia. Labor authorities revealed 163 workers from China were brought under 'slavery-like' conditions by contractor Jinjiang Group.

The 163 Chinese workers found by Brazil's labor ministry in what it described as "slavery-like conditions" at a factory construction site owned by Chinese electric vehicle producer BYD have been removed and taken to hotels,

Brazil has stopped issuing temporary work visas for BYD , the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday, 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.

Brazilian labor authorities have identified Chinese workers at a BYD construction site in Bahia as victims of human trafficking, alleging "slavery-like conditions." BYD and contractor Jinjiang Group have agreed to house hotel workers and negotiate contract resolutions.

By Fabio Teixeira RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) -Chinese workers found at a construction site for a factory owned by China's electric vehicle producer BYD in Brazil's Bahia state are victims of human trafficking,