Geely, Chery, and JAC will establish car manufacturing in Algeria to solidify its presence in North Africa. This information was disclosed by Li Jian, Chinese Ambassador to Algeria. It’s a response of Chinese automakers to Algeria’s import restrictions implemented in 2023.

Algeria’s economy has been declining for several years in a row. As a result, local authorities aimed to revive the industry by restricting automobile imports. Newly imposed strict rules were about to entice car companies to establish manufacturing facilities in the country. The plan seems to be working as the Chinese Ambassador to Algeria has confirmed three automakers will assemble cars in the North African country.

Geely, Chery, and JAC to assemble cars in Algeria

According to the latest interview with Chinese Ambassador to Algeria Li Jian, three Chinese automakers — Geely, Chery, and JAC — will establish car manufacturing facilities in this country. It is worth mentioning that JAC previously had a light truck KD plant in Algeria. Others have no industrial background in the North African country.

However, there is no information about the upcoming JAC manufacturing facility in Algeria. In contrast, Chery officials shared in November 2023 that they plan to establish a plant in Bordj Bou Arreridji. This facility will have a preliminary production capacity of 24,000 units per year. In the next three years, Chery will ramp up the production capacity to 100,000 vehicles per year. As a result, the factory will also export cars to other North African countries.

Geely’s plans in Algeria were disclosed by its local partner Sovidem. The company’s GM reported that the biggest private-owned Chinese automaker plans to invest 200 million USD to build an automotive assembly plant in Algeria. Its initial production capacity will reach 50,000 units per year. The Geely Algeria plant will begin operating in 2026. The first model to roll off the production line is the Geely GX3 Pro (Geely Vision X3).

The Geely GX3 Pro is a small crossover launched in China in 2017. It sells in the Middle Kingdom under the Livan (Ruilan) brand jointly created by Geely and Lifan. Moreover, the GX3 Pro sells in Latin America, Central Asia, Africa, and other regions. The GX3 Pro measures at 4005/1760/1575 mm. It has a 1.5-liter naturally-aspirated engine for 101 hp paired with CVT.

Editor’s comment

The start of production of Chinese cars in Algeria will be advantageous for both Chinese companies and the country. Algeria will resurrect its industry and improve its economy. Geely, Chery, and JAC will use those local plants as the export platform to solidify their presence in North Africa. However, at the current time, Geely, Chery, and JAC haven’t obtained official permission to produce cars in Algeria.

Source: China Embassy in Algeria, Dzair-tube, Sputniknews, Motors Algerie