Will Solaris end up exporting licenses and not finished buses?

Bolechów-based coach and bus producer Solaris is increasingly looking to the export market to compensate for flagging domestic sales. The latest plans are to sell buses to Chile. Last year it signed a contract in Venezuela and now, "Santiago de Chile city authorities will soon announce a tender for municipal buses in which all international producers are likely to take part," said a person engaged in promoting Polish exports. Even if the company won the tender, then it would not export finished vehicles, as custom duties and transport costs would eat up all the profit. "We are looking for a local partner willing to set up a joint venture, or we will sell licenses to produce Solaris buses," said company president Krzysztof Olszewski. Analysts claim that exports are the only possible option for the company to develop. (Puls Biznesu, pp. 1, 11) M.M.