January 2012 will see the first shipment of Chinese Shacman Trucks to Brazil through the port of Recife in the northeastern state of Pernambuco. The move follows an agreement signed between Recife port, Brazilian truck distributor Caminhões Metro Shacman and the economic development agency AD Diper.
The imported trucks are expected to increase the port of Recife’s revenue by 2.5m reals ($1.5m) according to the port’s director of operations and advertising, Sidnei Aires. In addition, Metro Shacman is reported to be investing $25m to support the logistics in Brazil, including the set up of distribution centre, which will employ 40 people to handle the unloading, inspection and any parts configuration required for the Brazilian market.
Shacman Trucks are made by China’s Shaanxi Heavy Duty Automobile based in Xian and the company has plans to export 1,500 of the vehicles in the first year with a estimated turnover of $500m according to the port of Recife. Shaanxi Heavy Duty has a production capacity of 70,000 vehicles a year supplying the Chinese and export markets.
The trucks will be stored in a 1.5 hectare bonded area that can store up to 250 vehicles at a time.
The latest announcement of China-made vehicles through Recife port follows the first delivery of vehicles there last month from Chongqing Shineray Automotive, a subsidiary of the joint venture between Brilliance Auto and Shineray Group, the first such delivery of vehicles from China for 12 years according to the port.
The initial shipment, aboard NYK’s ro-ro vessel Apollon Leader, saw 400 vehicles delivered, but the port is expecting to receive one ship per month in the initial phase beginning in December. According to Shineray’s Brazilian director Pablo Perez the vehicles delivered in November included the seven-seater Shineray A7 passenger van and the Shineray Mini Truck.
The vehicles will be stored on a 6,000m2 area with capacity to store up to 500 vehicles.
The Chinese carmaker has also signed a letter of intention with the port to build a logistics centre for the distribution of the vehicles for regions in the north and northeast of the country and will be investing $2m in the throughput of the vehicles at Recife.
