Supply Chain Research

Japanese automotive export growth is accelerating, with a 6% growth in January from the big seven manufacturers, up from a 5% decline in October. That was led by Mazda (up 34% due to production of the CX-5) and Toyota which rose 13%. The latter is notable in that it plans to cut production later this year. The export growth has been helped by a 6% rise in shipping to the U.S., which brought quarterly growth back for the first time since February 2017. That in turn suggests an expectation of renewed sales growth for imported vehicles in the U.S. The shipping companies should benefit from ...