The American responsible for the plan to import cars made in China “contends he will field cars, made by Chinese automaker Chery, that will be at least 30 percent cheaper than the competition, including a sedan to compete with the vaunted BMW 3 Series that will cost about $19,000, almost half the BMW 3 Series' starting price.”
Even with lax environmental standards for factories, cheap Chinese parts (that are being made there thanks to American automakers looking for cheap parts themselves), and the Chinese currency advantages…. will these cars be competitive? Is it really worth the transportation and supply chain costs to import cars from China? How is it that Toyota is able to build MORE factories in North America to get closer to the customer, while this guy wants to move cars half way around the world? If this is truly economical for them (lowest total supply chain cost), I will really be worried for the future of our manufacturing profession in this country.
Please scroll down (or click) to post a comment. Connect with me on LinkedIn.
Let’s work together to build a culture of continuous improvement and psychological safety. If you're a leader looking to create lasting change—not just projects—I help organizations:
- Engage people at all levels in sustainable improvement
- Shift from fear of mistakes to learning from them
- Apply Lean thinking in practical, people-centered ways
Interested in coaching or a keynote talk? Let’s start a conversation.
