Great Wall Motor to build assembly plant in Moscow

Great Wall Motor Co., Ltd., one of China's indigenous automakers, is reported to create an assembly plant in Moscow in 2010, and the annual production capacity will likely reach 50,000 sedans.

Upon the cooperation agreement Great Wall Motor has entered into with its promoter in Russia, about USD 25 million will be invested in the to-be-built factory. Apart from the vend in the Russian market, the Chinese company plans export of the vehicles yielded from the Moscow-based plant to Europe.

Presently, Great Wall Motor decreases sharply in its sales revenue in Russia, and the local consumers just can be charmed by the cheap price of its products. So the carmaker considers that the establishment of an assembly plant should be the only way to occupy the Russian automotive market again and to represent a 10% market share.

Great Wall Motor aggregately sold 1,496 cars in Russia, with a 72% fall year on year, compared with 6,238 and 8,236 units in 2007 and 2008, respectively, according to the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).