08/25/2008 13h36
Chinese companies to produce heavy machines in Brazil
Folha de S. Paulo - 08/25/2008
Chinese groups that so far only exported machines for construction and mining have decided to produce such equipment in Brazil. Nearly 20 brands share a market that, from January to July this year, negotiated 8,195 units, a growth of 54.6% compared to the same period of last year. With 20 thousand employees and six plants in China - one of them in the capital of the country, in Beijing - and units in the United States and in India, the Sany group is choosing an area to get set up in the region of Campinas (SP). The company plans on investing, in total, US$ 100 million in the undertaking. One thousand jobs must be created. In the evaluation of Sany, a company founded in 1989, the Brazilian market stands out for the "strength in natural resources". The new plant will work as a platform for Latin America. That is also the intention of Liu Gong, another company that sells bulldozers and other heavy equipment, manufactured in China, in Brazil. The group studies the implementation of a plant in Minas Gerais in the next two to three years, says Alberto Orellana, Officer of BH Máquinas, a partner of the Chinese company. Founded 50 years ago, Liu Gong has since the end of last year five plants in China and one in India. In Brazil, the company intends to invest up to US$ 200 million. The valuation of the Real - which facilitates the purchases from other countries - is in the root of the trend that has been resulting on the interest of Chinese groups to invest in its own plants in Brazil. Last year, the sales of imported machines for construction and mining amounted to 1,425 units, an 87.8% growth compared to 2006. From January to July this year, there were 1,510, a number superior to the entire sale of imported machines in 2007.
