OREANDA-NEWS. August 7, 2007. Russian auto maker Severstal-Avto has filed an application with the economics ministry for industrial assembly of Isuzu trucks in Russia.

Severstal-Avto, a subsidiary of steelmaker Severstal, and Isuzu, one of Japan's leading truck producers, signed an agreement on July 30 to launch a joint venture in the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia's Volga region for full industrial production of Isuzu trucks. Severstal-Avto currently produces a limited number of the trucks.
 
Dmitry Levchenkov, a deputy department director at the economics ministry, said Severstal-Avto will both assemble trucks and produce engines for them in accordance with the project.

Levchenkov said the ministry was also holding consultations with other truck producers on industrial assembly in Russia.

A number of foreign companies, including auto giants U.S.-based Ford Motor Company, Germany's Volkswagen, Japan's Toyota, and France's Renault have either opened or are building plants in Russia.

Last September Japan's Nissan signed a deal to open a plant near Russia's second-largest city, St. Petersburg, and in June PSA Peugeot Citroen signed a deal to assemble cars in Russia.