As Canada lowers its tariffs and imports more electric vehicles from China, an upcoming report from New York-based labour rights researchers is making new allegations of forced labour practices at the world's bestselling EV manufacturer, BYD.

China Labor Watch (CLW) received a complaint last fall from one of the thousands of migrant workers brought to Hungary from China to help build BYD's first European plant in the city of Szeged..

The non-profit organization launched an investigation and provided CBC News with an advance copy of its findings, set for publication later this month…

CLW interviewed 50 workers. To protect their safety and reduce the risk of retaliation, no names appear in the report. Many of those interviewed by CLW field workers were construction and installation labourers recruited through subcontractors or other intermediaries. ..

BYD did not respond to a request for comment…

CLW also laid out how tangled webs of tiered subcontracting blurred the lines of legal responsibility for poor working conditions, potentially allowing BYD to shirk responsibility…

In the wake of Canada's deal earlier this year to lower tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, there are increasing signs that BYD…is preparing to open dealerships in Canada and gain a foothold on the North American market…