All Policy and regulation articles – Page 28
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FeatureLinamar CEO warns of Trump's metal tariffs
The head of Canada’s second largest auto parts maker Linamar says she is concerned no one is talking about the impact steel and aluminium import duties are having on North American companies.Initially imposed by US President Donald Trump at 25% for steel and 10% for aluminium, Canada retaliated by imposing ...
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FeatureTrade wars contribute to Daimler’s lower profits
Global trade disputes played a part in Daimler’s net profit falling by €3 billion to €7.6 billion ($8.7 billion) last year, compared with 2017.In addition, the decline in diesel car sales as well as disruption caused by the introduction of the new WLTP emissions test in Europe in September eroded ...
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Feature
Standing up to risk
Given that it has recently welcomed a new government, is preparing for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and is tackling a worsening domestic security situation, it is safe to say that the Mexican automotive industry faces significant risks as it seeks to improve on its position as the world’s ...
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FeatureMexico stays strong in the face of adversity
Mexico is holding onto its position as a top-ten global automotive manufacturer and exporter despite a variety of challenges, including the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the occurrence of severe weather events and a worsening domestic security situation. Eduardo Solis, executive president of the Asociación Mexicana de ...
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FeatureQ&A: Olivier Thouard, customs and tax director, Gefco
Automotive companies and their logistics providers have largely been kept in the dark over the terms of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU and how they will continue to trade vehicles and parts with the continent. The UK exports more than 80% of the vehicles it makes but more than ...
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FeatureVolkswagen to establish business in Ethiopia
German carmaker Volkswagen has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ethiopian government to establish its automotive business in the African country. Thomas Schaefer, head of Volkswagen Sub-Saharan Africa, signing the MoU with Abebe Abebayehu, commissioner of the Ethiopian Investment Commission, in Addis Ababa. With them are the president ...
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FeatureAuto sector wins out in EU-Japan trade deal
The automotive industry has secured special terms in the EU-Japan free trade agreement (FTA) that came into effect on February 1.To address specific sensitivities in the 28-member trading bloc, the EU said motor vehicle tariffs would be lowered in stages during a seven-year transition period, before being eliminated. The EU-Japan ...
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FeatureMercedes van assembly frozen at Gaz Group plant
A parts shortage believed to stem from US sanctions has forced Daimler to temporarily halt assembly of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans at the Gaz plant in Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia.Citing several sources, Russian news outlet Kommersant suggested the parts shortage could be the result of US sanctions against companies owned or controlled ...
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FeatureUK vehicle exports buoyant amid Brexit uncertainty
Vehicle exports from the UK accounted for 81.5% of production last year, the highest proportion since 2012, allowing the country to maintain its position as the second strongest new car market in Europe after Germany.According to data presented last week by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the ...
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FeatureNissan pulls plans to make X-Trail in Sunderland
Nissan has reneged on a plan to make the next-generation X-Trail in the UK and will instead supply the European market with the crossover from its Kyushu plant in Japan.The decision – an obvious blow to the UK car sector – comes at a time when investment in the UK ...
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FeatureMercedes-Benz to produce batteries in Poland
Markus Schäfer (left), Mercedes-Benz Cars divisional board member with responsibility for production and supply chain, with Polish prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki Mercedes-Benz Cars is to build a lithium-ion battery factory in Jawor, Poland, at the same site where the German OEM is building its new engine plant. ...
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FeatureTurkish exports bolster falling domestic sales
Turkey’s automotive industry had a mixed year in 2018. Sales in its domestic market for passenger vehicles and light commercial vehicles (LCVs) were down by 35%, according to the Automotive Distributors Association (ODD), at 621,000 compared to 956,000 in 2017.According to Turkey’s Automotive Manufacturers’ Association (OSD), production of passenger cars, ...
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FeatureACEA warns of EU steel import tariffs
European Union (EU) measures to protect the steel industry “pose a real risk” to the competitiveness of the region’s car sector, according to Erik Jonnaert, secretary-general of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).A total of 26 categories of steel from all countries will be limited to a quota, based on ...
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FeatureHanging in the balance
Lower production output, slower growth in export markets and several regulatory and operational issues are threatening to unbalance Poland’s finished vehicle market
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FeatureBrexit: Why we need to get accustomed to digitalisation
It’s been more than 30 months since the EU referendum, but if and when the UK stops being an EU member state and becomes what is known as a “third country”, the number of customs declarations is expected to increase from 50m to 350m a year. British companies will be ...
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FeatureToyota and Kenworth work on zero-emission trucks
Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) has begun working with Kenworth on the supply of ten zero-emission trucks to move freight in the Los Angeles Basin.As well as mixed loads to and from the port of LA, a number of the hydrogen fuel cell trucks will be dedicated to transporting finished ...
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FeatureQ&A: Iain Lindsay
What do you say to potential investors who are concerned about what Brexit may mean for trade, particularly with the flow of goods and material being so essential to the automotive industry?Brexit is an issue that is at the heart of business concerns: what will it mean in terms of ...
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FeatureGerman automotive body warns on US trade tensions
German sector association the VDA has warned that ongoing trade tensions between the US and Europe and, separately, the US and China should not be allowed to derail the mutually beneficial relationship its OEMs currently have with the North American country. The warning coincides with news that VW and Ford ...
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FeatureMexican car industry calls for action on fuel shortage
Mexico’s new federal government has launched a radical strategy to combat the country's long-term problem of fuel theft. However, this has led to fuel shortages in central regions, which have closed gas stations, and is now threatening the transport and logistics supporting the automotive sector.States including Hidalgo, Jalisco, Michoacan, Guanajuato ...
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FeaturePacking a punch
Electric cars could revolutionise transport by providing a cheaper, safer and more environmentally friendly way to travel. The International Energy Agency forecasts that there will be 13m electric vehicles (EVs) on the road globally by 2020, while PwC Autofacts predicts that 55% of all new vehicle sales will be fully ...