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Japanese car supplier Mitsui Kinzoku ACT launched the construction of a plant that will produce door lock mechanisms on Tuesday at Tangier Automotive City.
The first of its kind in Africa, the 20,026-square-meter plant will cost the company €12.5 million. The company said that the project will benefit from the “strategic geographical position in Morocco.” The plant seeks to supply the company’s customers based in Morocco and Europe, including car manufacturing sites of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance.
The Japanese group chose Tangier also for its proximity to the Tangier Med Port complex and the maritime connectivity it offers.
The first phase includes the construction of a 5,600-square-meter production center with assembly lines and a 1,200-square-meter administrative building, Maghreb Arab Press (MAP) reported.
The factory will produce the latest generation of door locking mechanisms in the automotive industry.
The project is set to offer 100 people jobs in its initial phase and is expected to reach 300 people eventually.
Morocco’s Minister of Industry and Trade Moulay Hafid Elalamy and the governor of the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, Mohamed Mhidia, attended the launching ceremony.
Elalamy said that this opening will achieve certain success, noting that the Japanese group “is one of the key suppliers of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, and will have to contribute to the reinforcement of the added value of the automotive sector in Morocco.”
The Moroccan official emphasized “the strategic objective of enhancing local integration,” emphasizing that Morocco, thanks to the King’s royal instruction, is in a position “to offer high quality services to support investment and establish an integrated industrial ecosystem.”
Read also: EBRD Grants Morocco €7.5 million to Support Automotive Sector
Mitsui Kinzoku ACT Corporation has more than 10 industrial sites worldwide and some 6,400 employees.
The company’s customers include Toyota, FCA, Honda, Ford, and Subaru.
Morocco is also becoming a key supplier for European auto factories, attracting several investors to build plants making car parts, including Nexteer, Gestamp, Ficosa, and Fiat subsidiary Magneti Marelli.
