Leading automakers reported mostly higher US sales for the first half of 2018 on Tuesday, bolstered by a strengthening economy and continued robust demand for larger vehicles despite rising gasoline prices General Motors, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Toyota Motor and Volkswagen all reported higher sales through the end of June, while Ford Motor and Honda Motor reported a modest decline even as they described overall market conditions as robust.
ที่มา :หนังสือพิมพ์ Bangkok Post วันที่ 5 กรกฎาคม 2561
China slashed tariffs on imported light vehicles to 15 percent from 25 percent, effective July 1. Import tariffs for auto parts were reduced to 6 percent from around 10 percent, according to China’s official Xinhua news agency. Plans to cut the tariffs were announced by the Chinese finance ministry on May 23. However, vehicle imports from the United States will be subject to the 15 percent tariff only from July 1 to July 5 unless the Trump administration cancels plans to levy a 25 percent tariff starting July 6 on Chinese goods worth $50 billion. In retaliation for the latest U.S. tariffs, Beijing announced on June 16 that an equal value of U.S. imports, including light vehicles, will be subject to an additional 25 percent tariff starting July 6. That means importers of U.S.-made vehicles would have to pay a tariff of 40 percent when clearing Chinese customs
China's Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL) will build a battery cell factory in the German state of Thuringia to supply European automakers including BMW, three sources said. An official signing ceremony will take place at a summit in Berlin with China's Premier Li Keqiang on July 9, two of the sources said. CATL will produce lithium ion cells at the plant for use by German automakers in battery packs for electric cars. "The location of Thuringia... is correct," the third source said. BMW confirmed on Thursday that the automaker had awarded a contract worth just over 1 billion euros ($1.16 billion) to CATL so the battery maker can build a factory to make cells for electric cars in Europe.