(Yicai) May 14 -- Great Wall Motor’s new factory in Brazil will eventually reach an annual production capacity of 100,000 vehicles, as the Chinese automaker ramps up investment in Latin America, according to its chairman.

Located in Iracemápolis, in southeastern Brazil, the plant will initially produce three GWM models with an annual capacity of 50,000 units, creating 800 direct jobs by December, Wei Jianjun, chairman of the Baoding-based company, announced recently. Production will gradually scale up to 100,000 units, ultimately supporting over 2,000 jobs.

The facility was previously owned by Mercedes-Benz, but GWM acquired it in 2021 with plans to begin operations this month.

Chairman Wei met with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during Lula’s visit to China on May 12. During the visit, Lula had the opportunity to test drive a GWM multi-purpose vehicle in Beijing.

On the same day, Wei stated in a social media post that GWM will position Brazil as its research and development hub and manufacturing base for Latin America, reaffirming the company’s long-term investment plans in the region.

In 2022, GWM announced its intention to invest more than BRL10 billion (USD1.8 billion) over the next decade to strengthen the local industrial chain. In less than two years, the company’s dealership network has expanded to cover key cities and major regions across the South American country.

During his visit to China, President Lula also met with Wei Haigang, general manager of GAC International, the global division of state-owned automaker GAC Group. GAC plans to invest USD1.3 billion in Brazil to localize production and establish a local research and development center to drive innovation.

Editor: Emmi Laine