Supply Chain Research

The automotive industry is struggling to manage fluctuating demand and component availability. Exports from Japan by the big seven automakers fell by 7.7% year over year in December, including a 14.2% slide in Nissan’s shipments and a 14.3% drop in Subaru’s. All seven have had to pause production temporarily in response to a shortage of semiconductors which manufacturer Xilinx has stated will not be rapidly resolved. Sales of cars and light trucks in the U.S. fell by 3.7% year over year in January, with U.S. seaborne imports from Japan down by 2.8% year over year in December. Yet, a rebo...