After three years of negotiations, DaimlerChrysler is finally edging closer to reaching agreement with China’s leading commercial-vehicles producer First Auto Works (FAW) in Changchun on the joint production of heavy-goods vehicles, Handelsblatt reports.

The report says that progress has been made over the past month and that talks held in the north-eastern port town of Dalian in the province of Liaoning were now ‘progressing fast’.

Sources in China indicate that agreement is ‘imminent’. Liaoning governor Bo Xilai is scheduled to visit Germany in May, the second time within a year.

However, the Hendelsblatt report notes that a spokesman for DaimlerChrysler sounded a more cautious note on discussions with FAW, saying that ‘nothing will happen in the next few months’.

The Chinese heavy truck industry is widely acknowledged to carry huge potential as the economy grows and road infrastructure in China is improved. The current truck fleet is seen as old and dominated by medium duty trucks that are in need of renewal.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

The perennial question for investors in China however, is: ‘when will that potential be realised?’