Beiben Trucks Group Co Ltd is expanding its business to Africa, Southeast Asia and South America this year, and looking to retain existing customers by offering quality products and improved services.
The truck manufacturer, based in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, reported orders for 466 heavy trucks worth 158 million yuan ($24.77 million) from overseas markets in the first quarter of this year, up 8.4 percent year-on-year. The orders accounted for about 8.5 percent of the group's total sales.
In overseas markets, Beiben competes with major Chinese manufacturers such as China National Heavy Duty Truck Group Corp, also known as Sinotruk, and FAW Jiefang Automotive Co, as well as global truck brands including Germany-based Man Se and Czech manufacturer Tatra.
Beiben is a subsidiary of China North Industries Group Corp, a State-owned enterprise that makes high-tech defense products as well as civilian products. The latter bought out Beiben's previous owner Inner Mongolia First Machinery Group in 2013.
Even as far back as in 1988, Beiben's previous owner had introduced advanced manufacturing technology and equipment from the German company Daimler-Benz.
"Beiben's products have been gradually gaining popularity in developed markets," Jin Xin, vice general manager of Beiben's imports and exports unit, said.
The group is seeking to sell at least 2,800 heavy trucks this year to 10 key markets, including Kenya, Cameroon and Mongolia. "We will try to rack up sales of 3,000 trucks," Jin said.
In 2017, Beiben sold around 2,000 trucks (up 30 percent) worth 561 million yuan to customers in those markets, Wang Baoying, its general manager, said.
To build client loyalty in foreign markets amid intense competition, Beiben is providing customers with better after-sales service and sufficient supply of spare parts, Jin said.
According to him, one of the efficient ways to achieve the goal is to directly export products, instead of relying on third-party trading companies to ship, market and sell the trucks and components abroad.
In January this year, Beiben for the first time exported directly knockdown heavy trucks to Kenya, which were subsequently assembled at its local subsidiary in March.
The Kenya subsidiary is Beiben's fifth overseas knockdown factory, following South Africa, Ethiopia, Myanmar and Iran.
"Exporting directly enables us to communicate directly with the customers so as to offer quality products and services, and to play a synergistic role in research and development, production, marketing and after-sales service in the global market," Jin said. "It is also beneficial to enhance the company's brand image and improve its profitability."
But the current level of direct exports accounts for a small portion of the company's total overseas sales, Jin said, without disclosing details.
Dario Gomez, associate administrator at the Office of International Trade for the US Small Business Administration, said direct exports ensure "long-term growth and success".
Exporters have their say over the entire marketing mix including payment terms, product modification, local support, distribution, and finance options, Gomez was quoted as saying by the Western Union Business Solutions Learning Center.
To establish themselves as direct exporters, companies must determine which countries they want to enter, assess whether their products will sell in those new markets, and adapt their products and packaging to accommodate local customers' needs, according to Gomez.
Last year, China saw sales of 1.11 million heavy trucks, up 52 percent, and a record since 2010, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
This year so far, overseas markets continue to hold promise for Chinese heavy truck producers, said a recent report from the Qianzhan Institute for Industrial Research.
As the Belt and Road Initiative advances, the number of infrastructure projects in the participating economies has increased. Chinese heavy trucks have been exported to local users and Chinese-funded engineering companies, according to the report.
Lured by the vast potential, major commercial vehicle manufacturers are racing to grab market share.
Sinotruk has been the largest Chinese exporter in the industry over the past decade. Between January and November 2017, Sinotruk exported 33,000 vehicles. During the same period, Sinotruk's heavy truck exports accounted for about 50 percent of China's total.
Asked about Beiben's advantages amid fierce competition, Jin said the group has been fueling technological innovation, while advancing the integration of products for military and civilian uses in recent years.
According to him, a type of Beiben's tractors with enhanced capabilities have achieved several breakthroughs, and sell well in markets like Singapore and Chile.
The tractors' performance could rival advanced models made by European and US companies, according to Jin.
In a few days' time, Beiben plans to deliver another type of tractors designed for complex conditions to Singapore clients. The vehicles meet Euro 6 emission limits, the highest emissions standard imposed by the European Union, with the aim of improving air quality.
Liu Zhiyuan, secretary general of the Beijing-based Transcontinental Research Institute, said Chinese firms seeking overseas expansion in economies involved in the Belt and Road Initiative need to unite to build a risk-prevention system.
An effective way for Chinese companies to prevent potential risks and lower operational costs is to seek enhanced cooperation with local partners, Liu said. "The collaboration can be conducive to fueling local economic development and improving the livelihood of local people."
译文：
自营出口、售后服务、质量先行，助力北奔重汽的全球拓展
北奔重型汽车集团有限公司今年正将其业务扩展至非洲、东南亚和南美洲，并通过提供优质的产品和完善的服务来提高客户黏性。
北奔重汽位于内蒙古自治区。今年第一季度，公司海外市场重型卡车订单为466辆，价值1.58亿元人民币（2477万美元），同比增长8.4％。海外订单占集团总销售额的8.5％左右。
在海外市场，北奔重汽的竞争对手包括中国重汽集团、一汽解放等主要中国制造商，以及全球卡车品牌，如德国曼恩集团(MAN)和捷克泰脱拉公司（TATRA）。
北奔重汽直属中国兵器工业集团，后者是高科技军用和民用产品制造企业。北奔重汽原属内蒙古一机集团，于2013年被兵器集团收购。早在1988年，北奔重汽的母公司就引进德国戴姆勒·奔驰重型载货汽车全套专有制造技术和装备。
北奔重汽进出口公司副总经理金鑫表示：“北奔重汽集团的产品正在发达市场逐渐普及。”今年，公司正在寻求向包括肯尼亚、喀麦隆和蒙古在内的10个主要市场出售至少2800辆重型卡车。“我们将努力使销售数字突破3000辆，” 金鑫说。
据北奔重汽总经理汪宝营介绍，2017年北奔向这些市场的客户销售了约2000辆卡车（增长30％），价值5.61亿元人民币。
为了在竞争激烈中提高海外客户的忠诚度，金鑫表示，北奔正在为客户提供更好的售后服务和充足的备件供应。金鑫指出，实现这一目标的有效方法之一就是提升自营出口能力，而非依靠第三方贸易公司在国外运输、营销和销售卡车和零部件。
今年1月份，北奔首次实现向肯尼亚自营出口散件组装项目，这些散件3月份在当地工厂组装完成。肯尼亚散件组装（KD）工厂是北奔重汽继南非、埃塞、缅甸、伊朗KD工厂建成投产后的第五家海外KD工厂。
“自营出口使我们能够直接与客户进行沟通，从而提供优质的产品和服务，并在全球市场的研发、生产、营销和售后服务中发挥协同作用，”金鑫说。 “这对于提升公司的品牌形象和提高盈利能力也是有益的。”
但是金鑫表示自营出口目前仅占公司海外销售总额的一小部分。对此，他没有透露细节。
美国小企业管理局国际贸易办公室副主任达里奥·戈麦斯表示，自营出口确保了企业的“长期增长和成功”。
西联商业解决方案学习中心引用戈麦斯的话说，自营出口商对整个营销组合有发言权，包括付款条款、产品修改、本地支持、分销和融资方案。
戈麦斯表示，为了成为直接出口商，公司必须选定目标国家，评估其产品是否会在这些新市场上销售，并调整他们的产品和包装以满足当地客户的需求。
根据中国汽车工业协会的数据，去年中国的重型卡车销量为111万辆，同比增长52％，创下2010年以来的新高。
前瞻产业研究院近期的一份报告称，今年，海外市场继续为中国重型卡车生产商带来希望。报告指出，随着“一带一路”倡议的推进，沿线经济体的基础设施项目数量有所增加，中国重型卡车已出口给当地用户和中资工程公司。
受巨大潜力的吸引，主要的商用车制造商正在争夺市场份额。中国重汽在过去十年一直是该行业最大的中国出口商。在2017年1月至11月期间，中国重汽出口了33000辆车，其重卡出口量约占中国重卡总出口量的50％。
问及北奔重汽在激烈的竞争中的优势，金鑫表示该集团近年来一直在追求技术创新，同时推进军民融合。
金鑫介绍，该公司一款性能增强的牵引车取得了多项突破，在新加坡和智利等市场畅销。他表示，这种牵引车的性能可与欧洲和美国公司制造的先进车型相媲美。
不久之后，北奔重汽计划将另一款专为复杂工况设计的牵引车交付给新加坡客户。这款车达到欧六排放标准，可帮助提高空气质量。
纵横五洲咨询管理有限公司秘书长刘志远指出，在“一带一路”经济体中寻求扩张的中国企业需要联合起来建立一个风险防范体系。
刘志远表示，中国企业防范潜在风险和降低运营成本的有效途径是加强与当地合作伙伴融合共生发展。他说：“这种合作有助于促进当地经济发展，改善当地人民的生活。”
