PANAMA CITY, Panama — China Manufacturers Association L.L.C. (CMA) has established a sales subsidiary for Latin America in Costa Rica and is in the process of setting up another, similar company in Mexico.
The new companies will coordinate CMA's sales efforts for the Double Coin truck, OTR and industrial tires throughout Latin America/Caribbean and Mexico, respectively, according to CMA Vice President Walt Weller, who announced the units' formation at the Latin American & Caribbean Tyre Expo in Panama City.
The new company in Costa Rica, CMA Huayi Central America, is based in San Jose and is being headed up by Andreas Urena, an industry veteran who's been with CMA for the past four years, Mr. Weller said.
CMA is the Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.-based subsidiary of China's Double Coin Holdings Ltd., which in turn is controlled by Shanghai Huayi (Group) Co.
The new subsidiary has secured duty-free warehousing space in San Jose that will be used to complement the container-load, direct-ship business that represents the majority of the company's business in the region. The company also will handle Duraturn-brand truck tires and potentially other brands and types later on.
Messrs. Weller and Urena cited Costa Rica's economic and political stability as key reasons for establishing the new company in that country.