South America
VW hosts hackathon to develop digital supply chain
German vehicle maker Volkswagen (VW) held a hackathon to develop computer-based systems to make it easier to monitor compliance with human rights and environmental protection along complex supply chains.
Alfonso Sancha takes lead purchasing role at Seat
Alfonso Sancha (pictured) will take over as Seat’s executive vice-president for purchasing effective September 1, moving from his current position as head of purchasing of metal parts for parent company, the Volkswagen Group.
Groupe PSA results show significant losses in China and Iran
Groupe PSA has released worldwide sales results for the first half of the year that show a decline of 12.7% on the same period in 2018, down to 1.9m vehicles, principally caused by the suspension of the carmaker’s activity in Iran and losses in China…
Chris Conner to take top job at AAPA
Chris Conner is replacing Kurt Nagle as CEO of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA). The former CEO of Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL) will take on the new role in mid-October, though will start on September 23, working alongside Nagle during the transition…
Nissan Sunderland exports new Leaf to Australia and South America
Nissan has started delivering volumes of the Nissan Leaf electric vehicle (EV) to Australia and South America. The cars are being exported from the carmaker’s Sunderland plant in the UK…
Motoring on: Brazil’s heavyweight OEMs prepare for growth
Brazilian truck and bus sales picked up strongly last year following the country’s long recession, and now both OEMs and logistics providers are hoping the trend continues
Honda starts production at Itirapina plant in Brazil
Japanese carmaker Honda has begun operations at its Itirapina assembly plant, in the Brazilian state of São Paulo.
The long way home
For inbound automotive supply chains, returnable packaging just makes sense. No carmaker wants to spend money on wood, paper and cardboard again and again, only to have to fork out straight away for costly waste disposal. Far better to pay once for a robust, reusable container that provides better protection ...
GM withdraws from JV with Uzbek government
General Motors has sold off its remaining stake in the GM Uzbekistan joint venture to state-owned company Uzavtosanoat, which held the majority stake in the company. GM Uzbekistan makes Ravon and Chevrolet vehicles at its plant in Asaka.
Q&A: Neuton Karassawa
Can you give an overview of GM’s logistics activities in Brazil, and your own responsibilities?The scope of my function in the region is to handle the inbound pieces and materials, such as local inbound flows from overseas to South America. I [also] manage outbound flows from the factories to customers ...
Shifting gear
Brazilian vehicle sales have been gathering pace recently, as the country tentatively recovers from its long recession. Light vehicle sales have shown some growth, while bus and truck sales have positively motored ahead. Vehicle sales this year, however, have been tarnished somewhat by stalling exports – especially to Argentina, which ...
Economic nationalism to force a lane-change
Typically, the world experiences waves of economic nationalism every three decades but these are often limited to one region each time. Today we’re experiencing a global wave of economic disruption across multiple regions simultaneously. In reaction, automotive manufacturers are having to increase the flexibility and agility of their supply chains ...
Bigger vehicles, bigger challenges
Last year, GM sold around 3m vehicles in the US, with roughly 775,000 imported from Canada and Mexico and the rest coming from around the world, mainly from South Korea, China and Europe. Combining deep-sea and short-sea volumes, the carmaker used seaports to receive close to 200,000 vehicles into the ...
Deficit in Brazil’s automotive parts sector worsens
Brazil’s automotive parts industry posted a trade deficit of $4.48 billion over the first eight months of this year – a 22.4% increase compared to the deficit over the same period last year.
Brazilian auto association adjusts forecast
Brazil’s National Association of Automotive Vehicle Manufacturers (Anfavea), has adjusted predictions for how the year will end for the finished vehicle sector in the country – upwards for domestic registrations and production, downwards for exports.
GM Uzbekistan streamlines its supply chain
GM’s joint venture with the government of Uzbekistan – GM Uzbekistan – is expected to make 220,000 vehicles this year, a 37% increase compared to 2017.
Blockchain can disrupt the auto industry
Blockchain has built its reputation as a distributed ledger platform, which provides a framework for securely using and trading cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin. However, its potential extends far beyond financial services.
VW Brazil launches logistics portal
Volkswagen Truck & Bus is to launch a digital logistics portal in Brazil in tandem with the group’s digital brand, Rio.
Toyota runs roadtrains to Buenos Aires port
The port of Buenos Aires in Argentina has received its first ever roadtrain delivery of containers from the Toyota plant at Zárate.
Don't hope for a trade war truce
This is just the beginning. Unless an agreement can be reached, the ongoing trade war is likely to incur additional tariffs on Chinese products, and businesses at the lower end of the supply chain will face serious consequences.
