But world economy doesn’t bode well for export growth
75% exported
to UK, Australia, Singapore and Japan
LEONARD NEILL
IT’S OFFICIAL. The next generation of Mercedes-Benz C-Class vehicles will be built at DaimlerChrysler’s East London plant. But unless there is a revival in the world economy during the next two years, current export figures of vehicles from the West Bank facility are unlikely to increase.
The new vehicle, designated W204, will be the successor to the W203 currently being built in East London, which has sparked the mass export drive through the car terminal in the port.
Last year 43 000 W203 units came off the East London production line with 75% of them being exported to the UK, Australia, Singapore and Japan. The 25% balance was sold in South Africa.
East London management board member for production Hansgeorg Niefer has, however, given one new glimmer of hope for local export increases. There is a possibility, he says, that the production line for W204 will be adapted to assemble left-hand drive cars for export to the US. This again, however, will depend on an upturn in the international economy.
