Algeria / South Korea - Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Company Ltd, the South Korean truck-maker headquartered in Gunsan and owned by India’s Tata Motors, announced this month it has resumed exports to Algeria under the Daewoo brand after the country’s Ministry of Trade began easing restrictions on vehicle imports last year.

Tata Daewoo announced that it plans to rebuild its sales and aftermarket network in the country this year, with Algiers as a hub, and introduce its Dexen medium-duty truck range. The company is targeting annual sales of 1,000 trucks, based on the import quota expected to be set by the government for this year.

Tata Daewoo first began exporting its commercial vehicles to Algeria in 1999 and shipped around 9,000 units cumulatively until 2015, before the government introduced import restrictions in response to the country’s surging trade deficit.

Tata Daewoo has stepped up its overall export drive in the last few years, as it looks to reduce its dependence on its domestic market which is dominated by Hyundai. Sales in its home market fell by over 15% to 5,730 units last year, while exports surged by 32% to 3,770 units - to account for 40% of its global sales.