July 11 (SeeNews) - Romania's government is in talks with two leading car makers which are considering to open plants in the country, the economy minister told local media on Sunday.
“We are trying to bring a third car maker to Romania,” Costin Borc told local broadcaster Digi 24 on Sunday during a talk show.
You can download the 2023 Automotive industry in Southeast Europe report here
Currently, the government is holding discussions with two car makers - one from Europe, one from outside of Europe, he added.
In April, Borc hinted at the possibility for an electric car maker opening a plant in Romania.
Contacted by SeeNews at the time Tesla said that it does not have any information to share regarding this topic at the moment.
Two major car makers - U.S.-based Ford and France's Renault - operate factories in Romania.
Ford entered the Romania in March 2008, when it wrapped up the acquisition of a 72.4% stake in Automobile Craiova, the sole owner of car maker and distributor Daewoo Automobile Romania.
In March, Ford said it will spend up to 200 million euro ($224 million) to expand its plant in Craiova, southern Romania, so as to start assembling the EcoSport small SUV (sport utility vehicle) model there.
Ford Romania employed some 2,700 people at end-2015 at its Craiova plant.
Renault bought Romania's Automobile Dacia, an ailing state company at the time, in 1999. Dacia employed 13,800 people at end-2015.
Dacia topped the SeeNews ranking of the biggest companies in Southeast Europe by total revenue for 2014, surpassing Romanian oil and gas firm OMV Petrom.
($= 0.9038 euro)
Ford Romania SA is among the biggest companies in SEE. You can download our SEE Top 100 ranking
here or subscribe to our free Top 100 newsletter
here