All Policy and regulation articles – Page 40
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Spanish auto terminals returning to normal following strike
Most stevedoring strikes that have been affecting container and vehicle movements at the Spanish ports over the last couple of weeks have now ended, though threats of further action have been made by the IDC and UGT unions.The strikes, which began on June 5th, were called in protest about new ...
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Momentum builds for post-Brexit transition period to avoid ‘cliff-edge’
A prominent UK government minister and the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) were among those that this week called for interim arrangements to be put in place after the two-year Brexit negotiation deadline, as the chances of a new trade deal being in place by then seemed unlikely ...
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Keeping the heat on
The summer of renegotiation is upon us. Officials and policy wonks in the UK and US have invited their counterparts out of the sun and into shaded rooms, red pens in hand, trade and multi-lateral agreements spread on the table. For their sake, we hope the rooms are all air-conditioned.Officials ...
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UK cars now more British but local content still lags behind Europe
The percentage of local content in UK manufactured passenger cars continued to increase in 2016, but ‘anecdotal reports’ suggest the country has a way to go to reach levels achieved by other major European carmaking countries.The latest Local Vehicle Content Analysis report from the Automotive Council, a joint UK government ...
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Mexico fines seven shipping lines over price-fixing
Mexico’s Federal Economic Competition Commission (Cofece) has issued seven ro-ro carriers with fines totalling 581.6m pesos ($32.4m), saying they acted as a cartel to increase prices.The companies involved are K-Line and K-Line Americas, Mitsui OSK Lines, Mitsui OSK Bulk and NYK Line from Japan, Chile’s CSAV, and Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics ...
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Analysis: Hung parliament casts doubt and hope over Brexit
This article is being updated regularly.The UK general election on June 8th, in which the governing Conservative party lost its parliamentary majority, has cast uncertainty over investment and policy in terms of the country’s automotive industry and supply chain – most notably over pending negotiations to leave the European Union.There ...
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Europe conference: Two-thirds of UK car manufacturing ‘could move to EU within a year’
Up to two-thirds of the UK's automotive manufacturing base could theoretically be relocated to the EU within a year after the country leaves the trading bloc, global lead analyst at Autofacts PwC, Christoph Stürmer, has warned.Speaking on the first day of the Automotive Logistics Europe conference in Bonn today (Wednesday ...
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Transition to automated trucks must be managed, warn trade bodies
The potentially devastating effect of autonomous vehicles on truck drivers’ jobs means the transition to the technology will need to be carefully managed, according to a new report.There are, however, obvious benefits to automated road freight, including cost savings and safer roads, according to the new report from the International ...
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China approves JAC-VW electric vehicle production plan
The China National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has given final approval for local carmaker JAC and Germany’s Volkswagen Group to jointly produce a new brand of passenger electric vehicles in the country.The two companies first signed a memorandum of understanding for an electric vehicle partnership back in September.A statement ...
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Geely chosen as Proton’s strategic partner
Chinese carmaker Geely will take a 49.9% stake in Malaysia’s Proton group, as well as a 51% controlling interest in luxury car brand Lotus as part of a deal with DRB-Hicom Group.Under a $360m bailout agreement signed with the Malaysian government last year, the carmaker was required to find a ...
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GM restricts production in India to exports and exits South Africa after 90 years
General Motors has announced further restructuring of its international businesses, including moving to an export-only production model in India and exiting the South African market altogether.Poor sales, margins and a lack of scale in the supply chain have contributed to the decisions. They follow a recent pattern at GM of ...
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Brazil’s Itapoá port handles trial BMW imports
The Brazilian port of Itapoá has carried out a trial operation for the import of BMW vehicles from the US recently, with a view to starting more regular throughput.BMW has a factory in Araquari that produces the 3 Series and X1 models, both of which are in high demand in ...
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US officially kicks off Nafta renegotiation process
Recently sworn-in US Trade Representative (USTR), Robert Lighthizer (pictured, left), has notified Congress of the Trump administration’s intention to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) with Mexico and Canada, officially kicking off the process of reworking the two decade-plus old pact.During his election campaign last year, Trump took ...
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UK and EU supply chain managers make early plans for Brexit
Large numbers of supply chain managers in the UK and mainland Europe are already looking for local firms to work with ahead of Britain’s looming exit from Europe, a survey by the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) has shown.Almost a third (32%) of UK supply chain managers surveyed ...
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China pushes Belt and Road investment as European rail link booms
Source: Chatham HouseInvestment plans announced earlier this week for China’s ambitious Belt and Road economic and trade plan look set to support strong growth in rail services between China and Europe, which has seen rising use and interest among automotive manufacturers and logistics providers.At the Belt and Road Forum ...
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Yara and Kongsberg to launch autonomous electric container ship
Norwegian chemical and fertilizer producer Yara International has announced plans for the first all-electric, autonomous container ship.It is being developed in partnership with digital technology group, Kongsberg, and will ship products from Yara's Porsgrunn production plant to Brevik and Larvik in Norway.Named Yara Birkeland after the Norwegian scientist, Kristian Birkeland, ...
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Supply Chain Conference: The future is already here
A drone demonstration by Venture highlighted the potential of new technology for inventory management at plants and warehousesThat the automotive industry will see [sta_anchor id="1"]exponential change is something that many, if not all, experts and executives predict – even if they disagree about the pace and scale of change. ...
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Russian imports: Forecasting a fragile recovery
[in_this_story align="right" border="yes"]In August last year, imports of finished vehicles in Russia rose 5.3% year-on-year, bringing an end to a decline that had lasted for 35 consecutive months. Meanwhile, during the course of 2016, several carmakers, including SsangYong and Honda, unveiled plans to start importing finished vehicles into the country ...
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TPP concessions a 'starting point' for Nafta talks
US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross (pictured) has told a Bloomberg Breakaway Summit in New York that some of the concessions made by the country's neighbours under the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement would be a 'starting point' in negotiations over the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta).President Donald Trump removed ...
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Reports suggest Trump administration is now more open to an agreement with Europe
Reports this week have suggested President Trump’s administration has become more open to negotiating a trade deal with Europe, despite previous criticism of the bloc by the US president, who has already withdrawn from one multilateral trade agreement and called for the overhaul of another since taking power in January.The ...