ALGERIA · INDUSTRY
Key Facts
- —The country Algeria is North Africa’s largest country and a major gas exporter that has long tried to build a car industry.
- —What happened On Saturday 24 October 2026 Industry Minister Farid Kortel received a Tirsam delegation and reviewed its investment project.
- —The news The Tirsam passenger cars plan rests on talks with global carmakers about a partnership, the ministry said.
- —The company Tirsam was founded in 2008 in Batna and builds tractors, trucks and agricultural machines, and it already assembles Harbin mini-trucks at Kechida.
- —The local supply Echorouk’s report said 50 Algerian firms are ready to supply car factories.
- —Toyota visit A Toyota delegation toured Tirsam’s Batna plant on 7 October 2026, Algérie Eco reported, but no project was named.
- —Still open No carmaker, investment amount, site or start date has been named, so the talks remain at an early stage.
Tirsam passenger cars are on the table in Algeria, where the truck and tractor maker from Batna is negotiating with global carmakers. The Industry Ministry disclosed the talks after Minister Farid Kortel met a Tirsam delegation on Saturday 24 October 2026, Echorouk reported.
For US readers, the Tirsam passenger cars plan shows a major gas supplier trying to build factories at home. No US carmaker has been named in the talks, although General Motors met the same minister on 13 October.
What the Industry Minister Heard on Saturday
Kortel, who runs Algeria’s Ministry of Industry, reviewed how far Tirsam’s current investment project has advanced and how much of each vehicle is made locally. The Algerian Arabic-language daily Echorouk reported the meeting on Saturday 24 October, citing a ministry statement.
The statement said the talks also covered widening the project to include passenger cars or launching a separate new investment for them. On Tirsam passenger cars, the company is negotiating with global manufacturers on a partnership to develop an integrated industry.
Who Tirsam Is and What It Builds
Tirsam is an Algerian group founded in 2008 and based in Batna, a city of the eastern highlands. Algérie360 reported in November 2025 that it makes tractors, trucks and farm equipment and represents the DEVELON machinery brand in Algeria.
Its first locally built Harbin mini-trucks went to buyers at the Kechida industrial zone in Batna, with more than 70 vehicles handed over. The single cab was priced at 1.85 million Algerian dinars (about US$13,700) and the double cab at 2.25 million dinars (about US$16,700).
Where Algeria’s Car Industry Stands
Fiat Algeria builds the Grande Panda at its Tafraoui plant near Oran from imported kits, Algérie Eco reported in September 2025. Fiat put local content at 20% at the start and promised more than 30% by 2026.
Algérie Eco reported that a Toyota delegation toured Tirsam’s Batna plant on Wednesday 7 October 2026 and discussed future joint projects. The group gave no details of those projects or a timetable, and no link to passenger cars has been announced.
Why 50 Local Suppliers Matter
Echorouk’s report carried the line that 50 Algerian companies are ready to supply car factories. The minister stressed raising the local integration rate, meaning the share of a vehicle’s value made inside Algeria, and strengthening the national subcontracting network.
The ministry’s stated aim is to support national industry and reduce the import bill. For wider context, see this guide to Algeria’s economy and its key players.
Kortel’s Recent Car Industry Contacts
Kortel attended the African Automotive Investment Forum in New Alamein, Egypt, reported by the newspaper Ennahar on Friday 2 October 2026. On its sidelines he met Egyptian ministers and Tarek Ismail Mesaad, who heads Hyundai’s Middle East and North Africa operations.
On Tuesday 13 October 2026 he also received a delegation from US carmaker General Motors in Algiers, Algérie Eco reported, citing a ministry statement. That meeting covered cooperation and local integration, and no link to Tirsam has been announced.
What It Means for US Readers
No US carmaker has been named in the Tirsam talks, but General Motors held its own meeting with the same minister on 13 October. That shows Algiers is talking to American and Asian manufacturers at the same time.
Any carmaker that signs would draw on a supply chain of tyres, electronics and steel parts where US firms compete. Investors weighing North Africa can watch whether Algiers offers carmakers clear import rules and land.
What Is Not Known
The ministry has not named the carmakers in the talks, the size of the investment, the factory site or a start date. It also has not said whether Tirsam would widen its current project or open a separate one.
Tirsam has not published a statement of its own on the passenger car plan. The local integration rate its current project has reached was also not disclosed.
More: Algeria news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Tirsam?
Tirsam is a private Algerian group founded in 2008 in Batna that builds tractors, trucks and agricultural equipment. It also represents the DEVELON machinery brand in Algeria.
Who is in talks to build passenger cars in Algeria?
Tirsam is negotiating with global manufacturers, according to the Industry Ministry statement reported by Echorouk. The carmakers have not been named.
Who is Farid Kortel?
Farid Kortel is Algeria’s Minister of Industry. He received the Tirsam delegation on Saturday 24 October 2026.
Which carmakers build in Algeria?
Fiat Algeria builds the Grande Panda at Tafraoui near Oran, according to Algérie Eco. Tirsam builds trucks and mini-trucks in Batna.
Could US companies take part?
No US firm has been named in the Tirsam talks, although General Motors met the minister on 13 October. American suppliers could still bid for parts work if Tirsam passenger cars go into production.
Sources: Echorouk Online, Tirsam negotiates with global manufacturers to make passenger cars in Algeria, 24 October 2026; Algérie360, Tirsam unveils the prices of its trucks, 11 November 2025; Algérie Eco, Tirsam receives a Toyota delegation at its Batna plant, 7 October 2026; Algérie Eco, Fiat confirms Grande Panda production in Algeria, 5 September 2025; Algérie Eco, Kourtel receives a General Motors delegation, 14 October 2026; Ennahar Online, Industry minister at the African Automotive Investment Forum, 2 October 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error
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