It seems, the rainbow prospects of the Minsk Automobile Plant to expand external markets for its products won't come true - the aim is to save at least its own internal market.
As the news agency Novosti-Kazakhstan reported today, Belarus signed a contract for delivery the first batch of trucks model HD78 in Belarus, assembled in Kazakhstan at the car assembly plant of the Hyundai AutoTrans, part of the Astana Motors.
Of course, until the contract is quite modest - delivery of only four trucks, but all starts with something small. Indirectly it was confirmed by the Director of Hyundai Truck & Bus Shalkar Nurtleuov saying that the parties discussed the truck exports in 2012: "Kazakhstan has a chance to become the exclusive supplier of Hyundai vehicles in Belarus. Members of Customs Union are more profitable to import it not from the South Korea, but from Kazakhstan: it is more profitable in delivery terms and the cost of production".
When the idea of creating the Customs Union was still under development, many Belarusian officials claimed, the CU will promote national products to the markets of Kazakhstan and Russia. But, as we see, partners of Belarus are not asleep too.
And if you add to Kazakhstan the automobile potential of Russian KAMAZ, GAZ and ZIL, it becomes quite sad.
Can the Belarusian car manufacturer not to die under wheels of its competitors?
