All articles by Marcus Williams – Page 40
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NewsNorth American vehicle makers steer a course through Covid
This year’s Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain North America Live conference revealed how a strong rebound in North American vehicle sales has taken the supply chain by surprise and exacerbated the misalignment in inbound supply and capacity caused by the Covid-19 shutdowns.
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NewsUSMCA: The milk in the coconut of North American trade
The renegotiated rules on free trade in North America, known as USMCA, have been in effect six months but are coming under stricter enforcement. Trade experts from Toyota and Canada’s automotive supplier association point to risks around compliance and a lack of clarity in some rules, especially around ’alternative staging regimes’ on localisation – with the risk that some suppliers could lose significant business.
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NewsPutting the right tools in the right hands at Nissan Mexicana
No one thought the new year was suddenly going to be free of supply chain disruption. The coronavirus continues to cause problems, most pronounced at the moment by cross-Pacific port congestion and the increasingly serious shortage in the supply of microchips. But disruption of this kind is recurring and may even get more frequent in the future.
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NewsToyota doesn’t let a good crisis go to waste
The automotive supply chain in North America is once again facing disruption with containerised parts stuck in US west coast ports and semiconductors in short supply, both situations stemming from the turmoil created by the Covid-19 pandemic.
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NewsCaxxor looks for investment for rail link between Mexico and Canada
Infrastructure investment conglomerate, Caxxor Group, is proposing to build a rail route linking the Mexican east coast port of Mazatlán with the Canadian city of Winnipeg. The $3.3 billion (€2.7 billion) project, which will draw investment from the governments of Mexico, the US and Canada, as well as the private sector, will link strategic points across all three countries. Caxxor is targeting the movement of container freight, finished vehicles, bulk commodities and petroleum products.
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NewsGM plans to be globally carbon neutral in 20 years
General Motors has said it plans to be carbon neutral across its global operations and products by 2040. It has signed the Business Ambition Pledge for 1.5°C, a global initiative driven by UN agencies, business and industry leaders that provides companies with science-based targets to reduce emissions in line with the Paris Agreement on climate change
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FeatureA fitful start to the year for automotive supply in North America
The repercussions of Covid-19 continue to disrupt the automotive supply chain in North America, not least in the disruption caused to inbound container freight and the serious shortage in the supply of semiconductors. Marcus Williams reports
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FeatureA fab future for the automotive sector
A shortage of semiconductors is hampering global automotive production. Bettina Weiss, chief of staff and global smart mobility lead at electronics association SEMI, tells Marcus Williams why this is happening and why OEMs need to forge more direct links with the chip manufacturers
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FeatureFrom doom and gloom to fast and furious
Ocean-going container vessels have been anchored off the west coast of the US in January because of congested port terminals. Dr Noel Hacegaba, deputy executive director and COO at the Port of Long Beach tells Marcus Williams about the misalignment of supply and capacity, and how the port is tackling it
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NewsChris Styles to lead supply chain operations for Nissan North America
Chris Styles will take up a new role as vice-president of supply chain management at Nissan North America, replacing Mike Steck, who is retiring at the end of March this year.
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FeatureGood things come in sustainable packages
The Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP) is an association of vehicle makers and suppliers that works with US government bodies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), on projects designed to advance environmental sustainability while providing economic value to the automotive supply chain. At the end of 2020, the SP published guidance on sustainable packaging aimed at reducing waste in the automotive sector and increasing the amount of packaging that could be recycled
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FeatureCredit where credit is due
The coronavirus pandemic meant 2020 was a tough year for everyone in the automotive sector. GM was no exception. While the carmaker’s sales for the calendar year reached 2.5m units, total deliveries were down 12% and retail deliveries down 6% for the year. However, toward the end of 2020 retail sales recovered to pre-pandemic levels. According to the carmaker’s executive vice-president, Steve Carlisle, that was down to the efforts made by GM’s workforce. They kept launches on track and each other safe.
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NewsLEVC opens parts distribution centre in Germany with TVS
The London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) has opened a parts distribution centre in Eisenach, Germany as part of a new five-year deal with TVS Supply Chain Solutions (SCS) to operate a parts distribution network in Europe.
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NewsHellmann appoints Hüwel to CEO North America and Eberle to CFO
Organisational changes at Hellmann Worldwide Logistics mean Peter Hüwel has become the new regional CEO for North America, replacing Steen Christensen, while Martin Eberle will take over as chief financial officer (CFO) this coming spring, replacing Michael Noth.
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NewsVW reported to be seeking compensation from suppliers
Volkswagen is reported to be in discussion with two of its top suppliers over possible compensation for losses caused to its output in Germany.
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NewsStellantis announces top logistics and supply chain roles
Following the completion of the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and Groupe PSA into the newly formed Stellantis earlier this month, the company has appointed its top executive team, with Michelle Wen taking the lead role for purchasing and supply chain.
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NewsHonda to import Cruise Origin AV to Japan this year
Honda will be importing test versions of the Cruise autonomous, electric vehicle from the US to Japan this year for use in its Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) business there. Meanwhile, Cruise and its owner GM have signed a deal with Microsoft to further commercialise autonomous vehicles through the computing giant’s Azure application.
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NewsSemiconductor shortage will hit auto industry well into 2021
An ongoing shortage in semiconductor supply is disrupting production of parts and vehicles around the world. The supply bottleneck, which is caused by a combination of factors, including the impact of Covid-19 on production in the first half of 2020 and on manufacturing investment, is affecting a number of major carmakers and their suppliers.
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NewsBuilding more resilient supply chains with technology integration from the top
The Covid-19 pandemic has made it clearer than ever that better visibility of the supply chain is needed, even if its sheer complexity doesn’t make that easy. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technology may help, but a clear workflow process, and a talented and inspired workforce, are essential to make the technology effective.
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NewsVW Group reports success of Asia-Pacific PDC in Malaysia
Volkswagen Group’s 50,000 sq.m regional parts distribution centre (PDC) in the Malaysian port of Tanjung Pelepas is processing aftersales parts for 21 markets in the wider Asia-Pacific region.