Why people fight for a tire in Venezuela?
Just weeks after the opening of four Chery dealerships in Venezuela, dozens of people line up every day to buy the first Chinese cars sold in the Latin American nation.
Unlike competing Japanese and American cars, import preferences granted by the Venezuelan government mean the Chinese cars are cheaper, which has attracted a steady stream of interested customers.
I came to buy here because elsewhere there are no cars, which is an alternative, stylist Juan Hernandez, 33, told AFP pending before the dealer.
The entrance sign is still covered with black plastic, but is already attracting the attention of passersby on a busy road in Caracas The cars are assembled in Venezuela under an agreement with the Chinese President Hugo Chavez considers a The major ally manufacturing enterprise is financed jointly by Chery and a Venezuelan public-private company.
Three other Chery dealerships operate in other regions of Venezuela.
finally manufacturer plans to expand to 18 Venezuelan dealerships.
Chavez named the car models the Arauca and Orinoco after two rivers that flow through Venezuela.
Until the sales of Chery began, Venezuela suffered a shortage of cars because of import and exchange controls on other foreign vehicles.
Japanese and American brands like Toyota and Chevrolet have plants in Venezuela, but they do not have to exchange preferences as Chinese companies, according to economist Jose Guerra.
CADIVI the government agency that oversees exchange provides discretionary dollars and encourages Chinese enterprises because of the close relationship between the Venezuelan and Chinese governments, he said.
For customers like M. Hernandez, the previous scarcity of automobiles meant delays to be able to buy a new car, which caused him to lose his bank credit line for the purchase.
Now he wants to buy an Orinoco for about 30 000 S 37900, which he said is a little cheaper than other similar models in the expensive Venezuelan market.
official Yury Soto, 37, plans to buy a Arauca, which is a smaller and simpler model that sells for about 20,000.
We came to buy here because it is cheaper and it is what we can afford, thanks to price the President arranged Soto told AFP.
There are two weeks I arrived at six in the morning, I stood in line and was given a form of credit.
Today I will sign 11 and two months, they deliver me.
State banks offer credit lines of up to 80 percent of the cost of cars.
Soto believes that the period of six weeks to delivery from being a luxury, compared to a minimum of six months for other car manufacturers.
Carlos Vargas, the director of Chery dealership, said that the first few weeks we helped 250 300 people a day, but it was overwhelming and some employees left the first day Now we serve customers based on numbers ID card and is about 150 people per day.
Car dealers have been able to meet the demand so far because the manufacturing started months before the dealer opened.
The dealership's management hopes to sell about 400 cars a month when sales reach a normal pace, Mr. Vargas said will probably be later this year.
About 5,000 vehicles were assembled last year by the Sino-Venezuelan company This year, he hopes to raise 18,800 vehicles.
Other Chery cars are imported from China, but mostly for sale to officials and offering better options than many cars bought from dealers.
The Cherys are only one line of Chinese goods offered in Venezuela recently as part of trade agreements.
Since 2010, Venezuelans have been able to buy Chinese mobile phones and home appliances, which are sold at reduced prices in state stores Other trade agreements covering oil and housing.
For Chery Queues cars in Venezuela, Chery cars, venezuela.
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