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M'bishi Motors May Use DaimlerChrysler China Plant
Mitsubishi Motors Corp, Japan's fourth-largest automobile maker, said on Wednesday it would look at using plant of its German partner, DaimlerChrysler AG, in China if Beijing imposes tariffs on Japanese imports.
China said on Tuesday it would impose duties on imported cars, mobile phones and air conditioners made in Japan.
"Mitsubishi and DaimlerChrysler are in talks on whether Mitsubishi can use a surplus of capacity at DaimlerChrysler's Chinese unit to produce Mitsubishi vehicles," Mitsubishi Motors President Takashi Sonobe told a news conference.
Mitsubishi-designed Pajeros are assembled at a Chinese joint venture with annual production of about 10,000.
DaimlerChrysler's Chinese plant has annual output capacity of 100,000 and produced about 80,000 vehicles last year, a DaimlerChrysler Japan spokesman said.
Mitsubishi is owned 34 percent by DaimlerChrysler AG and the US-German giant is to raise that stake to 37.3 percent.
Commenting on a trilateral alliance between DaimlerChrysler, South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co Ltd and Mitsubishi on trucks and buses, Sonobe said this was a possibility under consideration.
On Wednesday, Hyundai Motor said it would announce details of a truck joint venture plan with DaimlerChrysler on Thursday.
Mitsubishi owned 1.8 percent in Hyundai as of July 2000.
In April, Mitsubishi said it would extend its partnership with DaimlerChrysler to truck operations upon Volvo's sale of its stake in Mitsubishi to the German-US maker.
Shares in Mitsubishi closed at 445 yen on Wednesday, up 0.23 percent. The benchmark Nikkei average ended up 0.80 percent at 12,674.64. Hyundai's shares were 28,700 won, up from 28,300.
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