Interfax
October 8

Uzbek-Korean joint venture Uz-Kodzhi has opened a plant in Khanabad, Uzbekistan to produce electric wiring harnesses for UzDaewooauto that cost $2.67 million and can produce 160,000 of the units a year.

The plan will produce electric wiring harnesses for four models of cars produced by UzDaewooauto, a source at Uzavtoprom, the association that includes automobile enterprises in Uzbekistan, told Interfax.

The plant will later begin producing electric wiring harnesses for buses and trucks produced by SamKocAuto and agricultural equipment manufactured by Uzselkhozmashholding enterprises.

Two more projects are near completion under the program to set up domestic production of parts for the automobile industry. UzExide plans by the end of this year to open a plant to produce car batteries at Dzhizakakkumulyator that cost $78.18 million and will produce 1 million car batteries a year.

UzExide was founded by Exide (U.S., with 51%), Uzavtoprom (48.3%) and Dzhizakakkumulyator (0.7%).

Uzavtoprom in Fergana is completing construction of a plant to produce auto glass with capacity for 200,000 sets a year. The project will cost $40 million.

Uzbekistan's automobile industry includes more than 10 enterprises, with the two main ones being UzDaewooauto that can produce 200,000 cars a year and SamKocAuto that produces buses and trucks in Samarkand.

According to the Ministry of Economics and Statistics, Uzavtoprom enterprises increased production by 32.3% in 2001 to 41,400 automobiles.

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