Business news

MINSK, 6 January (BelTA) – An enterprise to assemble Minsk Automobile Plant trucks may be established in Argentina, representatives of the Belarusian automobile engineering company told BelTA.

Businessmen from Bueno Aires Province expressed their interest in the relevant project during an exhibition performance by the MAZ-SPORTavto team in the town of Veinticinco de Mayo. During the show representatives of the Belarusian company met with potential investors and representatives of the town administration and inspected the site where the enterprise may be built.

Dmitry Korotkevich, OAO MAZ Deputy Director for Commerce, supervisor of the MAZ-SPORTavto team, noted that everything now depends on the Argentinian side, which representatives are expected to come to Minsk on a reciprocal visit and sign the necessary documents. The Argentinian investors are expected to carry out a marketing research and determine the scale of the assembly enterprise and the specific truck models that will sell on the local market.

The exhibition performance by the MAZ-SPORTavto team took place in the town of Veinticinco de Mayo upon request of the town administration. The local residents were able to see training races of the trucks and take a ride in the sport vehicles.

Belarusian trucks are already assembled in South America. The factory in Venezuela is capable of making up to 5,000 vehicles per annum in one-shift mode of operation. The assembly enterprise in Argentina will allow MAZ to expand the geography of truck sales in this region.

It is the fourth time the MAZ-SPORTavto team has taken part in a Dakar rally. This time the Belarusian team is represented by three trucks. The rally will be over 9,000km long, with some stages located over 3,500m above the sea level. The race began in Buenos Aires on 4 January to end in the same city on 17 January.

Minsk Automobile Plant was founded in 1944. In 2009 it was reincorporated into the public joint-stock company OAO MAZ. In 2012 OAO MAZ became the management company of the holding company BelavtoMAZ. The holding company comprises ten enterprises that employ about 30,000 people. The holding company makes truck tractors, high-sided trucks, medium-capacity automobiles, dump trucks, log trucks, short log trucks, cross-country vehicles, chassis fit for special equipment along with buses and trolleybuses. MAZ offers over 500 models and modifications of trucks and about 20 models of passenger vehicles.