site.btaChamber of Commerce: Chinese Auto Company Eyes Bulgarian Market

A Chinese automotive company is exploring the Bulgarian market, the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) said on Monday.

BCCI Deputy Chair Vasil Todorov met with Li Yuan, Managing Director of Martinger Industrial Technology (Tianjin) Co., Ltd., who has 28 years of experience in the automotive industry and is visiting Bulgaria to explore market opportunities for introducing electric buses and related equipment, according to BCCI. Automotive Cluster Bulgaria CEO Lyubomir Stanislavov also participated in the meeting, outlining the specifics of Bulgaria’s automotive market and the opportunities for foreign investment in the sector.

Todorov presented the Chamber’s work as that of an employers’ organization supporting businesses and highlighted the benefits of the unified voluntary trade register maintained by the BCCI, its regional structure, and its extensive network of industry organizations covering 52 economic sectors. Bulgaria’s investment and tax framework was described in detail. It was also noted that Bulgaria offers an attractive, low, and predictable tax regime, featuring a 10% flat tax on personal income and corporate profits, complemented by investment incentives.

The Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) hosted a Bulgaria-China Business Forum at the InterContinental Sofia Hotel in Sofia on September 15, 2025, alongside the 18th session of the Bulgarian-Chinese Intergovernmental Mixed Commission for Economic Cooperation, with support from the Ministry of Economy and Industry and the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Sofia. Minister of Economy and Industry Peter Dilov said trade between the two countries was close to USD 4 billion in 2024 and USD 2 billion in the first half of 2025, and he pointed to scope for joint projects in green technologies, energy efficiency, tourism, logistics and transport connectivity.

At the same forum, China’s Vice Minister of Commerce Ling Ji said two-way trade rose from USD 2.9 billion in 2020 to USD 4.1 billion in 2024 and urged Bulgaria to expand exports to the Chinese market. He listed stronger participation by Bulgarian companies in trade fairs in China and a deeper investment partnership as priorities, and he linked Bulgaria’s planned eurozone entry in January 2026 to greater predictability for Chinese investors.

BCCI and the Chinese embassy also co-organized a Bulgaria-China automotive business forum in Sofia on November 26, 2025. BCCI President Tsvetan Simeonov said it aimed to build direct contacts between Bulgarian and Chinese organizations, companies and financial institutions, while Deputy Economy Minister Doncho Barbalov said the Bulgarian automotive sector employed about 75,000 people and produced 70% of the sensors used in European cars.

Earlier, BCCI partnered with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) on a trade and investment cooperation conference scheduled for April 2, 2024 in Sofia, and it also worked with the Chinese embassy on Bulgaria’s participation with a national stand at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai from November 5 to 10, 2024.

At a BCCI awards ceremony on January 13, 2026, Chinese Ambassador to Bulgaria Dai Qingli said bilateral trade grew by more than 20% in the first eleven months of 2025 and that the embassy and BCCI helped connect around 400 companies in 2025. She also said a protocol signed in 2025 opened the way for exports of Bulgarian saffron and wild-caught seafood products.