Great Wall Motors (GWM), China’s largest manufacturer of SUVs and pickup trucks, is set to start operations at its Brazilian factory in May, with plans to produce up to 25,000 vehicles in the first year, according to a report by the Brazilian newspaper Valor Economico.
The facility will be GWM’s third manufacturing plant outside China, joining existing operations in Russia and Thailand.
The Chinese automaker entered the Brazilian market in 2021 after acquiring Mercedes-Benz’s manufacturing facilities but has primarily functioned as an importer until now.
In preparation for the launch of local operations, GWM has initiated a recruitment drive for 100 positions and plans to create an additional 700 jobs next year in collaboration with a local technical school.
The company aims to maximise local content in its Brazilian-made vehicles, capitalising on the Mover tax incentive programme. This scheme offers tax breaks based on factors such as domestic sourcing, research and development investments and pollutant emissions reduction.
Ricardo Bastos, GWM Brazil’s director of institutional affairs, told Valor that because of the incentives, the brand has revised its plans for which models to manufacture in Brazil.