BMW Group Malaysia yesterday delivered the first units of the recently unveiled MINI Countryman for its export programme to Thailand. The variants exported to Thailand are the MINI Cooper S Countryman and the MINI Cooper S Countryman Hightrim.
Harald Hoelzl, Managing Director and CEO, BMW Group Malaysia said, “The INOKOM Corporation plant in Kulim, Kedah, which is a partnership between Sime Darby Berhad and BMW Group Malaysia, are among 30 production sites in 14 countries around the world for the BMW Group and is an important touch point for us in the South East Asian region.”
Hoelzl added that being able to support and serve the markets in the region is an achievement and a landmark milestone not just for the BMW Group but for Malaysia as well. He said, “We have been developing our local assembly capabilities here together with our local partner Sime Darby Berhad and our network of local suppliers with the ambition to support the region and today, we have taken an important step forward.”
The export initiatives of BMW Group Malaysia in South East Asia are a clear example of the success of the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA). ATIGA promotes the intra-ASEAN trade and ensures the realisation of free flow of goods within ASEAN and has aided the BMW Group in utilising the premium automaker’s plants in ASEAN efficiently, providing flexibilities to match its production to the market demands, both for domestic and for export effectively.
