Sinotruk to enter developed markets with high-end vehicles

Localization strategy

As well as high-quality products and proactive marketing strategies, Liu emphasized sound after-sales services and localization strategies as key elements of Sinotruk's success in overseas markets.

The company built more than 400 service outlets and 300 parts dealerships across the world. "Almost 1,000 technical and sales personnel are sent regularly to our exporting countries to give our customers training on using the vehicles and help them maintain their equipment," Liu said.

"They are sponsored by the company to learn the local languages and cultures to better service our customers," he added.

The company is speeding up construction of overseas assembly plants to further boost its competitiveness by saving transport and labor costs.

In May 2014, Sinotruk signed a $100-million deal with Africa's industrial giant Dangote Group for a new assembly plant to produce trucks in Lagos, Nigeria.

The plant is the eighth Sinotruk has built abroad and is expected to assemble 10,000 heavy trucks a year when complete.

"Other assembly plants are planed to be built in Kazakhstan to embrace the nation's ambitious 'One Belt and One Road' initiatives," Liu said.

Sinotruk is also stepping up efforts to develop environmentally friendly heavy trucks aimed at high-end markets.

The company produced engines that meet the Euro V emission standards in 2011 and got orders to export Euro V heavy-duty trucks to Brazil, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

"We are now working to develop Euro VI engines. Although this emission standard won't be implemented in domestic markets in the next few years, we have to do so to fight for market shares in developed countries," Liu said.

Sinotruk aims to increase the share of its exports of vehicles to 30 percent of the total, up from the current 20 percent, he said.

wangqian2@chinadaily.com.cn