Chinese automotive components manufacturer Citic Dicastal Company Ltd has begun the construction of a new US$191m factory in Morocco, as it looks to strengthen its presence in the global automotive wheel market.
The new casting facility is being built in the Kenitra Atlantic Free Zone, some 40km north of the city of Rabat, and will employ some 760 people in the production of automotive aluminium wheels. It will be Citic’s third plant in the country, after it completed construction of a motorcycle aluminium wheel plant in 2019.
The new plant will have an initial capacity of five million passenger vehicle and light commercial vehicle wheels per year, which will be expanded at a later stage. The facility is expected to target primarily the original equipment and aftermarkets in Europe, Middle-East and Africa.
Citic claims to be the world’s largest supplier for aluminium wheels and chassis components, serving most global vehicle manufactures including luxury brands such as Mercedes-Benz and BWW, high-volume brands such as Volkswagen, Toyota, Ford and GM, as well as local Chinese brands.