Idle hands in China workshops: foreign carmakers struggle with zombie plants

WSJ via EFE ^ | Christmas Day, December 25, 2018 | unattributed

[SunkenCiv]

A downturn in China's car market has wrong-footed some of the world's biggest automakers, saddling them with factories they no longer need and that are costly to retool, according to a report from the Dow Jones Newswires supplied to EFE on Tuesday. Ford Motor, Peugeot and Hyundai Motor especially mistimed recent expansions, opening new plants just as the seemingly unstoppable growth of China's auto market went into reverse.

[SunkenCiv]

Not yet. We don't want to pump up the price of those recent model year high-quality used Euro sedans that are going to have to find new homes once their new EU emission regulations take effect.

[Caipirabob]

Thanks for the link. The more I stay up to date on China the more I understand why so many business take a "globalist" attitude in dealing with them, yet the risk and threat is so tremendous I believe it wipes out any and all benefits with this current regime.

Apple's success depends on institing quasi military protocol and behavioral standards so strict they have to have suicide nets around the building to keep their workers from jumping out the window.

And they are the "success story". I can't see how any of this is sustainable.

[Caipirabob]

Just wow, but not such a surprise to me. There's a cultural inclination for this type of behavior. Check out ADV China on Youtube (completely safe, but not for them), they offer fascinating insights into Chinese culture.