Belarusian and Russian Automobile Companies Should Overcome Crisis Jointly

Economic crisis hit hard at world automobile production. Starting from December 19th Chrysler has cut off production at all its 30 plants. Ford suspended production at ten assembling manufactures in the USA from December 2008 to January 12th, 2009. General Motors reduced production in the USA and Canada by 30%. Union State countries haven’t managed to escape the crisis wave either.

Economic crisis hit hard at world automobile production. Starting from December 19^th Chrysler has cut off production at all its 30 plants. Ford suspended production at ten assembling manufactures in the USA from December 2008 to January 12^th, 2009. General Motors reduced production in the USA and Canada by 30%. Union State countries haven’t managed to escape the crisis wave either.

“Mass suspension of production is a logical effect of the global financial and now in addition the industrial crisis. As you know resource and building sectors as well as metallurgy have slashed the volume of work,” said Pavel Mariev, Director of scientific and technical centre “Joint Institute of Mechanical Engineering” under Belarusian National Academy of Sciences. As he noted, with respect to “possible consequences for Belarusian and Russian automobile production, current situation is even more serious than in the days of Soviet Union disintegration” as far as then the crisis was regional while at present it is a global one. “Yet, I am sure we will overcome it if to continue working jointly,” said Pavel Mariev.

KamAZ, Russian first-rate producer of heavy-load machinery, has stopped its assembly belt line for a month since 22^nd December. Though, unlike KamAZ, MAZ hasn’t been forced to announce a monthly vacation.

Nevertheless, the situation does cause anxiety. The share of Russian components in MAZ auto machinery makes up 60% while its principal supplier plants in Russia are on the verge of cessation. For instance, Yaroslavl motor plant is now a one-shift plant which works on demand of Minsk automobile plant. The situation is aggravated by the fact that some Russian items of production cannot be replaced by Belarusian analogues. Therefore it is planned to hold negotiations with these enterprises so that they could provide MAZ with necessary components.

BelAZ will also have to struggle against the consequences of the crisis together with its Russian partners who are both customers and suppliers. Last year deliveries of Belarusian mine dump trucks to Belarus increased by more than 25%. But, as General Director of BelAZ Petr Parkhomchik noted, this year it is necessary to expand commodity distribution network, proprietary service and “search for new methods of payment while credit resources are not as available as they were earlier”. “It well may be that we will be exchanging dump trucks for coal,” he supposed. “It is not at all improbable that Russian enterprises will participate in manufacturing “BelAZ”es abroad,” the General Director said. Soon, such joint ventures may appear in China and India.

Besides that, the models of already well-known in Russia dump trucks will become even better which will be achieved together with Russian partners. For example, MAZ will develop their alternating current transmission which will simplify the maintenance a lot.

One more paramount project is being implemented together with Minsk and Tutaevsk motor plants. According to BelAZ requirements specification these two enterprises have arranged a joint production of advanced engines for 30 and 45-ton dump trucks: their export to Russia amounts to 80%. No doubt, this makes Belarusian trucks more attractive for Russian consumers. “By the by, we have always adhered to the opinion that mine machinery for Russian market should be equipped with Russian diesel engines,” stressed General Director of BelAZ Petr Parkhomchik.

At present it becomes obvious that in order to overcome global financial crisis Belarusian and Russian should work jointly. A lot of Russian and Belarusian machine building enterprises could complement each other. Besides that, Belarusian technologies will be in good request in Russia while Russian scientific developments will be widely adopted in Belarus.