auto industry

The Romney Ad, the Auto Bail Out and China

The political everybody has an opinion not based in fact pundit world is ablaze over a new Romney ad claiming Chrysler is planning on building a plant in China and making Jeeps there. The ad references this Bloomberg article, from October 22nd, which reports Fiat, the majority shareholder in Chrysler, wants to move some production to China.

 

Why Japanese Automakers Support a Detroit Rescue Plan.

From what you read in the news, and hear from Southern GOP Senators, you'd think that this was a banner year for Japanese automakers operating in the US. Or at the very least that Toyota, Hyundai, and the other automaker "transplants," that is foreign auto firms producing in the US, are currently experiencing a bit of schadenfreude watching their long time nemesis GM on the ropes. But. It just isn't so. And here's why.

Foreign automakers producing in the US are perfectly aware that the destruction of the Detroit Three would only hasten a sharp decline in their own ability to operate, and profit, in the North American market. In order to understand precisely why it is that Sen. Shelby and his comrades have gone all quixotic seeking to kill off GM in the name of Japanese efficiency while their beaus running transplant factories in the South shake their heads, it helps to look at the work of Chalmers Johnson.

EPI: If Big 3 Fail 18% Unemployment in Michigan

The Economic Policy Institute has a new report out today about the economic impact of an auto industry collapse. A previous report by the Center for Automotive Research (CAR)estimated that a total collapse of the big 3 would result in the loss of almost 3 million jobs, and $554.6 billion(4% of US GDP) in economic losses. What was missing was a state by state breakout.

Manufacturing Monday: Week of 10.20.08

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Happy Monday, folks, I do hope you all had a good weekend!  Welcome to another installment of Manufacturing Monday!  Now things are looking bad out there, as many of you probably already know.  We start out with more dire jobs news at GM. Turning to some good news, it seems economic forces that made us "costly" has now turned the tables of sorts, with ironically the biggest pusher of China, Wal-mart (or is it Walmart?  I've seen this store both ways.) forcing suppliers to look domestically.  Lastly, we got Honda moving more work to North America. But first, as is par for the course, we get to the latest economic info related to manufacturing.  So without further adieu...

The Numbers!