Germany’s MAN Truck & Bus Company announced last Thursday (17 September) that it has appointed the private sector entity, Libya Motors Company, as its new exclusive distributor in Libya.
MAN said ‘‘We are thrilled to announce that as of September 17, 2026, Libya Motors Company is officially the authorized importer for MAN Truck & Bus in Libya.
Our management team proudly formalized this strategic partnership during a special signing ceremony at the prestigious Hannover Exhibition. This agreement unites our customer-first mission with MAN’s legacy of world-class engineering, performance, and sustainability.
Through this collaboration, we are bringing the award-winning MAN portfolio to the Libyan market, offering:
· Premium Vehicles: A complete range of advanced trucks and buses.
· World-Class Support: Enhanced service networks powered by expert technicians.
· Tailored Solutions: Business services designed to elevate commercial mobility across the region.
We are confident this partnership will deliver immense value to our customers''.
MAN’s previous relationship with the state Libyan National Trailers Company
It will be recalled that in February 2018, and as reported by Libya Herald, Libya’s Economy Minister at the time, Naser Drisi, together with the state-owned Libyan National Trailers Company, met with representatives of MAN in Tunis.
Libyan government sources at the time had reported that initial agreement was reached between the Germans and Libyans to restart the Libyan truck and trailer assembly plant in Tajoura. The parties had also agreed that a feasibility study would be conducted into the possibility of establishing some sort of partnership or joint venture between the two entities for MAN trucks and buses.
The agreement had included the possibility of the Libyan assembly plant exporting a limited experimental quantity of 1,000 vehicles to Africa. A training element of Libyan cadres so as to enable the transfer of know-how to local employees was also included in the agreement.
It was agreed that the two parties would hold further series of future meetings, including a visit by MAN representatives to the Libyan assembly plant in the near future, prior to activating the agreement.
However, it is clear that the agreement did not bear any fruit and that MAN has decided to partner with Libya’s private sector, rather than Libya’s ailing state sector.
The partnership is probably made easier by the fact that Libya Motors Company has been a successful partner for many years of another German motor company, Volkswagen.