SHANGHAI: Nawej Makal Styno, an automotive business manager at Celeste Agency in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), travelled to a vehicle remanufacturing plant in Tianjin’s Binhai New Area in China last month to inspect a batch of heavy-duty trucks that had just rolled off the production line and placed the first order.
The trucks that caught Styno’s eye were not brand new, but reconditioned vehicles.
In March 2025, the Botian-Farizon Used Vehicle Remanufacturing Industry Demonstration Park began construction on an 11-ha site in the modern industrial zone of the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area in Binhai.
The park delivered its first batch of remanufactured commercial vehicles last month, a year after construction began.
After passing comprehensive quality inspections, the 20 Geely heavy-duty trucks will be exported to Nigeria, Ghana, the DRC and other countries for long-haul freight and engineering construction.
“The DRC is a developing country, and we need these kinds of trucks,” Styno said at the park. “We will order one for trial use, and if it works well, we will come back and place more orders.”
For many consumers, remanufacturing remains a relatively unfamiliar concept.
It is different from refurbished vehicles and offers a cost-effective transportation option that is in high demand in developing countries in Africa, Central Asia and beyond.
According to industry expert Zheng Zuochao, remanufacturing refers to the professional repair or retrofitting of old vehicle parts that can be reused, ensuring that the quality, safety and environmental performance of the finished used vehicles is not lower than that of new models.
“The used vehicles we purchase are generally those with partial functional damage or technological obsolescence,” Zheng said.
“Unlike traditional repairs, remanufacturing requires fully disassembling the vehicle, inspecting, repairing or replacing each component, and finally reassembling it into a complete vehicle.” — China Daily/ANN
