Supply Chain Research

Volvo Cars reported an unchanged operating profit for 4Q 2018 compared to a year earlier, partly as the result of a drag from tariffs as well as weak U.S. sedan sales. CEO Håkan Samuelsson has stated that the firm’s new Charleston, SC. factory has “been well timed considering emerging tariff issues.” The imposition of tariffs on Volvo’s imports from China led to a drop in its shipments to near zero in January. The next concern will come from the section 232 review of the automotive sector, which could have an impact on the parts sent to its Charleston factory. The impact will be a functi...