Supply Chain Research

The U.S. Commerce Department’s section 232 “national security” review of the automotive industry may focus on parts more than vehicles. American sales of domestically-produced vehicles were 3.3x those of imports in the past 12 months. Imports of auto-parts in March meanwhile reached a record $10.1 billion after rising 9% in the first quarter and 3% over the past year. Presumably suppliers in NAFTA (48% of the total in the past year) and South Korea (5%) will be covered by ongoing trade deals, as has been the case with the section 232 steel and aluminum reviews. China will be a major targ...