Ford sales in China were up 102% in the first six months of the year, according to Reuters. The company sold 74,395 units, of which 68,908 were branded Ford, and the remainder were Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover models.
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Demand was boosted by the Focus, which is produced at Changan Ford Mazda Automobile. Sales by the joint venture totalled 56,417 units, up 136.6% in the January to June period. The partners are currently expanding a plant in Chongqing and building a new plant in Nanjing with an initial capacity of 160,000 vehicles.
Changan Ford Mazda Automobile has been in the news recently because it was forced to stop assembling the Mazda 3 in April, less than two months after the start of production. The joint venture had apparently failed to seek the necessary approval for the car to be sold by Mazda’s sales joint venture with First Automobile Works (FAW).
The news agency added that, after years of difficult negotiations with authorities, Mazda had gained approval early last year to form a sales joint venture in China with local partner FAW.
Most foreign carmakers have two distinct joint venture partners in China, and vehicles produced by the companies must be sold through their own sales channels.
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By GlobalDataMazda had negotiated exclusive rights to sell Mazda cars through its FAW joint venture, and made much of the approval for such exclusivity, calling it the first of its kind and a crucial step in building its brand in China.
