By Ramon Castro
Chinese brands continue to advance in the global automotive industry although the scenario in the United States has become much more complex for electric vehicles. Decisions promoted by the president donald trumpfocused on reinforcing local production and raising tariffs on imported models, completely changed the panorama for manufacturers that had been growing at high speed outside of China.
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Still, some companies don’t seem willing to abandon their plans. That is the case of Chery, the group that owns OMODA and JAECOOwhich has already made it clear that it keeps its sights set on the American market even if it has not yet found the glorious moment to land there.
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While much of the industry cautiously observes the movements of Washingtonthe Chinese automaker has already begun to move chips in Canadaa territory that could become the prelude to its expansion towards North America.
Canada appears as the first gateway
Trade tensions between the United States and Canada ended up generating an unexpected opportunity for several Chinese brands. The Canadian government opened the possibility for manufacturers such as BYD, Geely and Chery to market up to 49,000 vehicles a year in that country.
For Zhang Guibing, president of Chery Global and head of OMODA and JAECOO, this strategy is not coincidental. The executive publicly recognized that the great objective continues to be the United States.
This was explained in statements collected by Reuters. “The US car market is huge, and every company would like to enter it. Naturally, we have the same ambition.”
The manager also admitted that the current political context does not help much to realize these plans. Even so, he made it clear that the brand does not plan to give up. “In the future, when we find a right time, we definitely want to sell in the United States.”
Chery accelerates global expansion
The Chinese group is not only working on reaching new markets. It is also preparing a strong product offensive for the coming years.
According to Zhang Guibing, the company will launch 13 completely new models in just two years. The strategy contemplates a very wide range with gasoline vehicles, mild hybrids, conventional hybrids and pure electric vehicles.
In addition, the offer will include different body formats, from SUVs to sedans and pickups, a category that continues to have enormous commercial weight in several international markets.
Chery’s growth outside China has been strong. The company is already the largest Chinese automotive exporter and has accumulated nearly 5,900,000 units sold outside its local market, with a presence in around 130 countries.
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