Uzbekistan, Tashkent, July 16 /Trend D.Azizov /
Uzbek joint venture (JV) GM Uzbekistan (formerly JSC UzDaewooAuto, Andijan province) decreased car sales in Russia in January-June 2013, which is the main export market for automobiles, to 34.2 percent compared to the same period of 2012, to 27.274 million units, the report of the Association of European Businesses Automobile Manufacturers Committee said.
According to the report, including the first half of 2013, some 15.516 thousand cars (decrease of 37.1 percent) of the Nexia cars and 11,758 thousand Matiz small-capacity cars (decrease of 29.8 percent) have been sold in the Russian market.
In June the enterprise decreased the car sales by 61.2 percent in comparison with June 2012 to 3.594 thousand units. The sales of Nexia cars decreased by 2.8 times up to 1.953 thousand units in comparison with June 2012, and the sales of Matiz cars decreased by 55.7 percent (to 1.641 thousand).
As it was reported, car plant decreased car sales in Russia by five percent compared to 2011 - to 88.232 million units.
According to the Committee, the decline in Uzbek-made car sales is also related to the general decline of the Russian car market. From January to May 2013 the total sales on the Russian car market fell by four per cent compared to the same period in 2012, including in May - by 12 percent.
UzDaewooAuto was created in 1996 on a parity basis by the Government of Uzbekistan and South Korean Daewoo Motors.
In 2005, Uzbekistan has bought shares of Daewoo in the joint venture. In 2007, Uzavtoprom and General Motors signed an agreement on establishing of the plant of GM Uzbekistan with authorized capital of $266.7 million, in which the American side owns 25 percent stake plus one share in the enterprise with the possibility of increasing it to 40 percent. At the moment, 75 per cent of the shares belong to JSC Uzavtoprom.
Currently, JV GM Uzbekistan produces eight models of cars, including four model of Chevrolet - Captiva, Epica, Spark and Malibu, the production of which began in February of this year, by using the SKD technology. Other models are produced in the full-scale production.
In 2012, GM Uzbekistan increased car production by 6.4 percent as compared with 2011 - up to 235.518 thousand units.