Daimler AG, the world's largest truckmaker, said China, India and Latin America will enable its commercial-vehicle division to report slightly higher sales this year, making up for slumping U.S. and European markets.

Orders in the first eight months of 2008 have advanced 3 percent, Andreas Renschler, head of Daimler's truck and bus division, said in a speech at the IAA Commercial Vehicles Fair in Hanover, Germany. Daimler has no plans to sell its truck business, the executive said.

``Things won't get any easier for our commercial-vehicle business in 2009'' because of high raw material prices and slowing economies in the U.S. and Europe, Renschler said. At the same time, there are ``very many synergies'' between the trucks and Mercedes-Benz car divisions, he said. ``We will not strive for a separation.''

Eight-month commercial-vehicle deliveries increased 0.4 percent to 311,000, led by 9 percent growth at the Mercedes-Benz truck brand.