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Belarus’ BelAZ sees truck supplies to China double in 2007 to $50 mln

17 September 2007

Belarusian Automobile Plant (BelAZ), one of the world’s largest producers of mine trucks, located in the city of Zhodino, in the Minsk Region, plans to double exports of dump trucks to China in 2007 to U.S. $50 million, a source in the company told Prime-Tass referring to the fast-growing extractive industry of that country.

Belarus is still in talks with Chinese manufacturers over a joint venture to produce dump trucks with capacities ranging from 130 tonnes to 220 tonnes.

“Foreign competitors are already in this market. The U.S.’ Terex has built a plant in the northeast of China right on the coalfield. Komatsu has also built a plant in Shanghai, in China, to make 154-190-tonne trucks. It is building another plant there to make dump trucks with a load-carrying capacity of 170 tonnes,” the source said.

Heavy trucks production is one of the leading engineering trends now, so BelAZ eagerly follows this tendency, the source added.

There are two national producers in China, and BelAZ plans to work with one of them.

The Belarusian plant will not focus on location, but prioritize collaboration with local makers of components.
 
“When we agree shareholdings in the new joint venture, it will take just about a year to start production,” the source said.

The Chinese market requires about 80 super heavy dump trucks every year.

BelAZ was founded in 1948 and is fully owned by the state. The plant produces more than 200 models of mine trucks with a carrying capacity ranging from 30 tonnes to 320 tonnes and special machinery, including front-end loaders and wheeled bulldozers.

The main buyers of BelAZ trucks are Russia, which accounts for 70% of the plant’s exports, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan.

Prime-Tass