Mês: Julho 2019

Getting a deal must be next PM’s first job urges UK Auto as new report reveals £50,000 a minute threat of border delays

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  • Securing a Brexit deal to protect Britain’s biggest exporter must be next leader’s top priority, urges SMMT, as first-ever UK auto trade report highlights importance of £101bn trading powerhouse.1
  • New calculations reveal potential £50,000-a-minute cost of hard Brexit border delays to UK automotive manufacturers.
  • Loss of Automotive would force UK out of Top 10 global exporter rankings behind Belgium, Mexico, Canada and Russia.
  • But, the right deal, the right business environment and auto-friendly trade strategy could deliver £20bn boost as industry maximises potential.

in SMMT, 25-06-2019

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) today issued a plea to the UK’s next prime minister to secure a favourable Brexit deal as his number one priority on taking office. The call came as the trade body published a new report highlighting the importance of automotive trade to the UK economy and the high stakes of a ‘no deal’ Brexit. SMMT’s 2019 UK Automotive Trade Report calculates that delays to production caused by friction at the border could add up to £50,000 a minute for the sector.

Leaving the EU without a deal would trigger the most seismic shift in trading conditions ever experienced by automotive, with billions of pounds of tariffs threatening to impact consumer choice and affordability. The end to borderless trade could bring crippling disruptions to the industry’s just-in-time operating model. Delays to shipments of parts to production plants are measured in minutes, with every 60 seconds costing £50,000 in gross value added – amounting to some £70 million a day in a worst case scenario.

Combined with WTO tariffs, which for trade in passenger cars alone amount to £4.5 billion a year, this would deliver a knockout blow to the sector’s competitiveness, undermining a decade of extraordinary growth.

Thanks to the free and frictionless trade afforded by the customs union and single market, automotive trade value has risen by 118% since the global financial recession, from £47 billion in 2009 to £101 billion last year. Over the same period, car production increased by more than half, with more than eight in 10 vehicles bound for export – the majority to the EU. 3.3 million new cars are traded between the UK and EU each year, while the UK exports some £5.2 billion worth of components and £2.9 billion of engines to help build vehicles across the continent.

Addressing an audience of business leaders and government officials at the industry’s annual International Automotive Summit in London today, Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said,

Automotive matters to UK trade and to the economy, and this report shows that, if the right choices are made, a bright future is possible. However, ‘no deal’ remains the clear and present danger. We are already seeing the consequences of uncertainty, the fear of no deal. The next PM’s first job in office must be to secure a deal that maintains frictionless trade because, for our industry, ‘no deal’ is not an option and we don’t have the luxury of time.

Automotive is the UK’s single biggest exporter of goods, trading with some 160 countries worldwide, and accounting for more than 14% of total exports. The sector is one of the country’s most valuable economic assets, directly employing 168,000 people,2 supporting communities and delivering an annual £18.6 billion to the public purse. Leaving the EU without a deal would jeopardise this, hampering government’s ambitions to boost global exports and GDP. Without automotive, the UK would lose its hard-won status as the world’s 10th biggest exporter of goods, falling to 14th place behind Belgium, Canada, Mexico and Russia.

However, the report also calculates that the right deal, backed up by ongoing collaboration to create a competitive business environment and thriving market, and combined with an ambitious automotive-focused trade strategy, could trigger a 20% uplift in the industry’s global trade value – worth £20 billion, if the sector can maximise its full capacity.

SMMT’s first-ever UK Automotive Trade Report charts the rise of the sector over 40 years, outlining current and future challenges and opportunities for trade with Europe and globally. It sets out clear set of recommendations to government and industry to help boost competitiveness, promote frictionless trade with existing markets and unlock new business between the UK and key export destinations around the world.

Eight recommendations for government and industry 

  1. Set a positive, modern, automotive-friendly trade agenda and exercise thought leadership in shaping national, regional and global trade rules applicable to new-generation vehicles and automotive technologies
  2. Ensure no new barriers are introduced to trade between the UK and EU, as well as maintaining existing trade terms for preferential access to major markets beyond the European regions, while also working to diffuse international trade tensions
  3. Strengthen engagement with industry and ensure trade policy and automotive specialists are part of senior management and negotiating teams
  4. Seek new trade opportunities in key global markets, through the removal and reduction of tariff and non tariff barriers
  5. Remain at the forefront of global automotive rule making, preserving the UK’s role in UNECE discussions and increasing the UK’s efforts to bridge gaps between regulatory superpowers and reduce regulatory barriers
  6. Collaborate with industry to enhance the domestic customs system to ensure legitimate trade does not face costly delays and invest in physical and digital infrastructure and incentives that promotes non-burdensome trade and assists with up-skilling of suppliers
  7. Foster trade promotion by helping UK companies to explore distant and risky markets, and continue to support international events to raise the UK’s profile and open up opportunities
  8. Link trade and industrial strategies and investment plans to ensure the UK’s strategic interests in a strong, modern and innovative automotive sector are prioritised and sustained by future policies.

 

  1. 2019 UK Automotive Trade Report
  1. Based on ABS and SMMT signatories’ data for 2018 and revised ABS data for 2017. Revised data shows 174,000 jobs were supported in UK automotive manufacturing in 2017, falling 3.5% to 168,000 in 2018. In 2018, 823,000 people were employed across the wider industry, down 1% on 2017 (831,000) – ABS data.

 

Auto industry revises 2019 car sales forecast to -1%

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In the side-lines of its annual general meeting in Brussels today, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) revised its forecast for 2019 passenger car registrations downwards to -1%.

in ACEA, 27-06-2019

ACEA’s initial forecast, published earlier this year, was for growth of up to 1% compared to 2018. The association now expects a slightly negative result for the full year 2019, with total EU car sales projected to be just above 15 million units at the end of this year.

“Aside from the uncertainty due to Brexit and changing macroeconomic conditions, this represents a natural stabilisation of the market,” explained ACEA Secretary General, Erik Jonnaert. “Indeed, the pace of growth has been slowing down in recent years.” This is also in line with the European Commission’s downward revision for projected EU GDP growth, as car sales strongly mirror economic growth.

Today, ACEA also released the new edition of its Automobile Industry Pocket Guide, containing the latest data on employment, production, registration, innovation, road safety and trade flows.

As the Guide shows, the automotive sector now provides jobs to 13.8 million Europeans, representing 6.1% of total EU employment. Moreover, 11.4% of all EU manufacturing jobs – some 3.5 million – are in the auto industry. The top five countries for direct manufacturing jobs are Germany (870,000 jobs), France (223,000), Poland (203,000), the UK (186,000) and Romania (185,000).

A new interactive map of automotive factories published today shows that the 19.2 million motor vehicles made in the European Union last year were built at 229 automobile assembly and production plants spread over 19 EU countries.

“This map visualises the highly integrated and complex auto manufacturing network spanning right across the European continent,” said Mr Jonnaert. While finished vehicles might be assembled in one country, parts and components are sourced from many different EU member states.

Jonnaert: “It goes without saying that any additional barriers, costs or delays as a result of Brexit will pose a serious threat to jobs and growth in the auto industry, both in the UK as well as in the EU.”

 

 

Here’s our latest list of the biggest parts suppliers

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Who else can afford the cost of new technologies?

in Automotive Mews Europe, by Lindsay Chappel, 28-06-2019

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The supplier world is rushing into new technologies to deliver the grand vision of the auto industry – widespread electrified powertrains and advanced safety and convenience technologies that will allow vehicles to steer, accelerate and brake themselves.

But that transformation is not having any noticeable effect on the global pecking order of the industry’s biggest parts companies.

Not yet, at least.

The annual Automotive News ranking of the top global suppliers reveals that as the industry’s main players build revenue, transform and change direction, they remain in much the same order of size as they were a year ago.

Bosch, Denso, Magna, Continental and ZF Friedrichshafen remain the world’s five biggest suppliers, in the same order on the Automotive News list as a year ago. Only two of the top 10 – Valeo and Faurecia – changed rankings last year. They swapped positions on the list, with Faurecia No. 9 and Valeo No. 10.

“The main reason suppliers, for the most part, are keeping their spots as the biggest of the big? Wealth.
The cost of playing in the game has gone up in the past few years, and only the biggest and richest can afford the rising costs of acquiring the technologies that will make the industry’s vision become a reality.

“You can’t buy anything related to autonomous vehicle software technology now that’s not in the billions of dollars,” said Dietmar Ostermann, U.S. automotive advisory leader at PwC, which tracks global automotive merger and acquisition activity globally. “So if you want to be in the autonomous game, the size of your company matters massively.”

Mergers and acquisitions have roiled the segment as suppliers jockey for a seat at the table to come.

Ostermann admits to being astonished at the amount of money that technology vendors are selling for in the world market, as big suppliers add to their portfolios. According to PwC, the combined value of supplier mergers and acquisitions has nearly tripled from a decade ago. It averaged around $20 billion a year for 10 years, Ostermann said. From 2014-17, it averaged about $50 billion to $60 billion, before jumping to  a record $97.5 billion last year.

“Technology is the dominating factor in supplier strategy,” he said. “A few years ago, suppliers were on an M&A drive because automakers were moving to global platforms with global architectures, and suppliers needed to quickly merge and create more global capabilities to supply in all regions.

“The real need now is to be able to support electric vehicles, connected cars and autonomous driving.”

The desire to beef up with connectivity and autonomous capabilities has triggered acquisitions for software companies and electronics innovators, small and large, in and out of the traditional car business.

Last year, there were 20 deals each worth more than $1 billion – twice the level of activity of the past three years. The sector recorded 903 merger-acquisitions during the year. Among those that reported a deal value, the average size was $286.8 million.

The quest for more technology is also focused on older auto parts. Even as EVs rise on the horizon, automakers are asking suppliers to help make internal combustion engines more competitive, smaller and lighter, requiring turbocharging and direct injection. The same lightweighting effort is driving opportunity among steel, aluminum and composite material suppliers.

Companies are questioning their past business segments and repositioning themselves for new roles through mergers, investments, divestitures and corporate restructurings – even if the technology revolution has not kicked in yet.

The expected revenue of that big future is little more than a trickle, compared with the still-robust demand for good old-fashioned brake pedals, pistons, fuel tanks, lead-acid batteries, transmissions and pickup bed liners.

But change is occurring nonetheless, and familiar names are disappearing from the list of giants as suppliers carve out new visions for their futures.

Delphi Automotive, a company that once towered as the industry’s biggest supplier under various corporate names, making parts as disparate as air conditioners, brakes and radios, now appears on the list of giants as Aptiv at No. 20. Aptiv plans to focus on electronic architectures and advanced safety. The spun-off part of the old Delphi – now named Delphi Technologies – will compete in the powertrain corner of the industry. It ranks No. 62.

Johnson Controls, once a star supplier of seating, interiors and batteries, has divided into separate companies – No. 13 Adient, with an eye on seats for the autonomous age; and Clarios, focused exclusively on the future of batteries. Clarios did not submit a completed survey for this year’s list.

Axle and transmission maker ZF, No. 5 on the list, grew mightier last year as a result of its 2015 acquisition of American safety systems supplier TRW.

And Japan’s Panasonic Corp., ranked No. 12, reported a 33 percent growth in revenue last year, thanks in part to its acquisition of the majority ownership of Ficosa, the fast-growing Spanish supplier of cables, mirrors and other parts.

The question hanging over the heads of supplier executives: When will the new order of electrification, connectivity and autonomous driving begin delivering revenue and profit on a par with the cost of restructurings, acquisitions and development investment?

Significant financial payback could be another decade away, according to several forecasts.

Although automakers ranging from Volkswagen to Toyota are rapidly developing electrified vehicle portfolios, most forecasts conclude that it will take until at least late in the next decade before electrified vehicles equal those powered by internal combustion engines in terms of global unit sales.

And while lower-level autonomous driving technologies are spilling into the marketplace – visible in Nissan, Cadillac, Tesla, Honda, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz vehicles – the new science remains a distant source of dominant supplier wealth. Automakers are still vague about when and where fully autonomous vehicles will appear in the market.

Until then, said Daron Gifford, strategy and automotive consulting leader at Plante Moran in Detroit, large suppliers will have to sort out the daily challenges of the auto business the same as small suppliers. Those include delivering flawless parts to customers on time, running their factories efficiently and meeting the cost reduction demands of automakers’ purchasing managers.

Automakers make little distinction between large suppliers and small, Gifford said.

“Being a big guy can be helpful, maybe in being able to drive down your own costs, or in being able to drive innovation at your business,” he said.

“But whether you’re big or small, you face the same issues.”

 

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Uma ETAR, uma Câmara e 80 empresas de curtumes em risco

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Solução encontrada pelo município de Alcanena para a ETAR pode pôr em risco 3.500 postos de trabalho e o funcionamento de 80 empresas, diz presidente da Associação dos Industriais de Curtumes.

in ECO economia online, por Fátima Castro, 30-06-2016

s industriais de curtumes do concelho de Alcanena estão preocupados com o futuro do setor e consideram que a autarquia esta a pôr em causa a competitividade da indústria tendo em conta o resgate do contrato de concessão da exploração da Estação de Tratamento de Águas Residuais (ETAR) de Alcanena, por parte da Câmara Municipal.

Segundo o secretário-geral da Associação Portuguesa dos Industriais de Curtumes (APIC), Gonçalo Santos, o objetivo da autarquia é transitar a gestão da ETAR industrial de Alcanena (AUSTRA) para a recém-criada empresa municipal AQUANENA, que pretende que esta ETAR passe a ser apenas para uso doméstico. “Isto está a gerar uma grande preocupação junto dos industriais de curtume do concelho, uma vez que deixam de ter uma unidade onde possam tratar as águas e resíduos provenientes das suas fábricas, o poderá pôr em causa toda a indústria, local e nacional, e consequentemente a sustentabilidade da região”, refere em declarações ao ECO.

A fileira do couro em Portugal, direta e indiretamente, exporta mais de 95% da sua produção e com o resgate do contrato da concessão da ETAR podem estar em causa cerca de 3.500 empregos diretos e indiretos apenas na indústria do couro, sem contar com o setor do calçado nacional que continua, “apesar da forte internacionalização, a ser o principal cliente” desta indústria, que “poderá perder suporte competitivo em Portugal” conclui.

Gonçalo Santos explico ao ECO que existe o receio por parte dos industriais do curtume, que a mudança da entidade reguladora e a classificação da ETAR (transição do uso industrial o uso doméstico doméstico), venha a implicar que cada fábrica tenha o seu próprio sistema de tratamento. “Todas as empresas que descarregam os efluentes no sistema terão de construir as suas próprias ETAR e isso representa um avultado investimento e nem todas as empresas têm condições financeiras para o fazer, tendo que encerrar pois não terão como descarregar os efluentes”. Acrescentando ainda que “as empresas que têm capacidade para o fazer, poderão enfrentar problemas de licenciamento, dada a complexidade do processo em geral, e em particular para a indústria de curtumes”, refere o secretário-geral da APIC.

O responsável receia também que o encerramento dessas empresas leve à redução do volume de efluentes a entrar na ETAR o que tornaria a atual ETAR “num elefante branco”. Explica que se a ETAR for apenas de uso doméstico, segundo os critérios da Entidade Reguladora dos Serviços de Águas e Resíduos (ERSAR) a ETAR serviria uma população de 400 mil pessoas para um concelho que tem cerca de 14 mil, das quais entre nove e onze mil são servidas por esta ETAR.

Câmara quer gestão municipal do saneamento básico

Gonçalo Santos aponta ainda a incapacidade financeira, técnica e administrativa da Câmara Municipal de Alcanena ou da empresa municipal para gerir a ETAR e efetuar os investimentos exigidos pela Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente (APA) colocam em causa a futura emissão da licença de descarga para a ETAR. “Os industriais sabem da dificuldade da gestão da ETAR e sabem que a câmara ou empresa municipal não tem perfil, nem capacidade de financiamento para gerir a ETAR e fazer as obras exigidas a curto prazo pela APA”, afirma o secretário-geral da Associação Portuguesa dos Industriais de Curtumes.

O resgate do contrato da concessão da ETAR industrial de Alcanena teve por base um parecer da Entidade Reguladora dos Serviços de Águas e Resíduos (ERSAR), sobre a impossibilidade de associações de utilizadores serem entidades gestoras, disse à Lusa a presidente da Câmara de Alcanena, Fernanda Asseiceira. A autarca socialista de Alcanena referiu que os industriais têm vindo a “dificultar o processo” por não quererem “abdicar de uma posição de controlo”. Alertando que município “tem toda a legitimidade para exercer uma competência que é sua”. Atualmente a Estação de Tratamento de Águas Residuais de Alcanena está ao encargo da Austra.

O ECO tentou obter mais esclarecimento por parte da Câmara Municipal de Alcanena, mas os contactados não quiserem responder às questões enviadas.

Para o dirigente da APIC existem razões para os industriais do curtume estarem preocupados e dá o exemplo da obra na ETAR exigida pela Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente num prazo de 180 dias, de forma a cumprir os valores de emissão para o meio hídrico (de que dependem as licenças de descarga e a consequente declaração de conformidade ambiental).

Gonçalo Santos relembra que a Austra já tem o financiamento aprovado para as obras na Estação de Tratamento de Águas Residuais e não terá de fazer concurso público para as lançar. Voltando a referir que a “a Câmara Municipal de Alcanena ou a empresa municipal não reúnem qualquer destas condições, estando limitadas no endividamento – a empresa municipal é uma empresa recente sem histórico bancário, as autarquias tem dificuldades acrescidas no endividamento e qualquer uma das duas terá de lançar um concurso público para a obra que tem um custo estimado de cerca de 800 mil euros”, alerta Gonçalo Santos.

Caso a obra não avance as empresas ficam impedidas de fazer a descarga dos efluentes. O secretário-geral da APIC alerta com preocupação que a data está a aproximar-se cada vez mais. “O prazo termina em menos de 120 dias dado que mais de 60 dias já decorreram desde a comunicação da APA com as condições de emissão da nova licença”. Acresce ainda que as obras deveriam ser executadas durante o mês de agosto — durante a paragem da industria de curtumes. Caso as obras não sejam concluídas nesse prazo, a ETAR entrará numa situação de incumprimento ambiental e a entidade gestora não poderá emitir declarações de cumprimento ambiental solicitadas pelos clientes e em consequência pelas empresas de curtumes”, refere.

Da TAP à Gucci, da Volvo à Balenciaga. Alcanena trabalha com grandes marcas

Gonçalo Santos, secretário-geral da Associação Portuguesa dos Industriais de Curtumes, frisa a importância do setor que exporta diretamente mais de 40% da sua produção. Os industriais de curtumes exportam grande parte da sua produção para grandes marcas de moda e do setor automóvel. Por exemplo, hoje são os industriais de Alcanena que fornecem os estofos dos novos aviões Airbus da TAP.

Volvo, Volkswagen, Porsche, Renault, Gucci, TAP, grupo Kering, Balenciaga, entre outras, são algumas das marcas internacionais que trabalham com os industriais do concelho de Alcanena e que exigem garantias de cumprimento ambiental. “Hoje em dia, todas as marcas estão focadas nos temas ambientais, na sustentabilidade, e na economia circular e querem garantias de cumprimento ambiental, caso contrário irão comprar em Espanha ou Itália, que são os nossos principais concorrentes e garantem as mesmas condições”, alerta Gonçalo Santos.

O secretário-geral da Associação Portuguesa dos Industriais de Curtumes afirmou ao ECO que a solução encontrada pelo município de Alcanena pode pôr em risco estes contratos, caso a nova entidade gestora da ETAR não cumprir com as exigências ambientais impostas pelas marcas.

 

 

AICEP assina dois contratos de investimento com Altran e Gestamp num total de 32,6 milhões

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A AICEP assina amanhã dois contratos de investimento com as empresas Altran e Gestamp, no valor global de 32,6 milhões de euros e a criação de cerca de 300 postos de trabalho, a maioria altamente qualificados.

in Jornal Económico, por Maria Teixeira Alves, 01-07-2019

A AICEP assina amanhã dois contratos de investimento com as empresas Altran e Gestamp, no valor global de 32,6 milhões de euros e a criação de cerca de 300 postos de trabalho, a maioria altamente qualificados.

A Altran, líder global em serviços de engenharia e Investigação e Desenvolvimento (R&D) e a Gestamp é uma empresa de engenharia multinacional espanhola, líder na indústria automotiva europeia.

Presidente do Conselho de Administração da AICEP, Luís Castro Henriques, vai presidir à cerimónia, que conta ainda com a intervenção do Secretário de Estado da Internacionalização,Eurico Brilhante Dias e do Ministro-Adjunto e da Economia Pedro Siza Vieira.

 

 

VW Navarra presenta una propuesta para optar a un tercer modelo

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La dirección de Volkswagen Navarra presentó, el 28 de junio, al Comité de Empresa su propuesta de Acuerdo del Tercer Modelo de la fábrica.

in AutoRevista, 01-07-2019

El texto definitivo que se acuerde se remitirá a la central de Volkswagen en Wolfsburg (Alemania), con el objetivo de conseguir la adjudicación de un nuevo vehículo para la planta navarra, que se uniría a los Volkswagen Polo y T-Cross que se producen ahora. Anteriormente, la central del Grupo transmitió a los representantes de la planta de Landaben la necesidad de comprometerse a cumplir los objetivos de productividad encomendados, demandó un incremento en el número de coches que se producen a diario y apremió a ambas partes a alcanzar un Acuerdo del Tercer Modelo.

En el documento se afirma que se tomarán las medidas de flexibilidad del Convenio Colectivo necesarias para la realización del programa productivo, priorizando los desplazamientos de pausa en los turnos necesarios hasta final de año y la realización de sábados voluntarios; además, se plantea el desplazamiento de un turno de trabajo de julio a agosto con las condiciones que se pactarán en el Acuerdo de Cambio Sustancial de Condiciones de Trabajo; y, por último, con el objetivo de mantener la fábrica productiva todos los días posibles hasta final de año, la propuesta contempla organizar el disfrute de los cuatro días de jornada industrial, de manera rotatoria, de tal forma que ningún empleado trabaje por encima de los 216 días en el año 2019.

La propuesta concreta que se aumentará la capacidad productiva de la fábrica a 1.438 coches al día. Si finalmente el Consorcio asigna un tercer modelo a Volkswagen Navarra, esta medida se implementará a partir del momento de la adjudicación. Entre las consideraciones finales de la propuesta se recoge el objetivo de aumentar el número de proveedores en Navarra y, en consecuencia, posibilitar “el incremento del empleo asociado en la industria del automóvil”.

 

 

Indasa lança fita de adesão máxima

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A Indasa acaba de lançar no mercado a nova fita M T E Red, fita vermelha com adesão máxima garantida.

Trata-se de uma fita com resistência até 100º C durante 30 minutos. Esta fita garante a melhor performance durante todo o processo na cabine de pintura e é compatível com todos os materiais de repintura.

A M T E Red da Indasa tem uma espessura consistente. o que proporciona um acabamento ainda mais uniforme nas extremidades.

Esta fita caracteriza-se pela sua resina de borracha natural, que resulta na inexistência de resíduos.

Tem como mais-valia também o facto de ser de fácil aplicação e manuseamento, dada a facilidade que ela confere ao desenrolar.

Está já disponível no mercado nas dimensões de largura 18 mm, 24 mm, 36 mm e 48 mm, sendo que o comprimento é sempre de 50 metros.