Washington Post (March 8)
The war in Iran “is hitting the economies of Europe and Asia harder and faster than it is striking the United States.” The conflict’s impact extends far beyond oil and natural gas prices. For example, “the closure of several international airports in the conflict zone, including the world’s busiest in Dubai, idled nearly one-fifth of global airfreight capacity, interrupting shipments of consumer electronics, pharmaceuticals and precious metals.” At present, “the cost of shipping goods by air from Asia to Europe is up 45 percent since the war began,” double the increase “for sending items from Asia to the United States.”
Tags: Airfreight, Airports, Asia, Conflict, Dubai, Economies, Electronics, Europe, Impact, Interrupting, Iran, Natural gas, Oil, Pharmaceuticals, Shipments, U.S., War
Bloomberg (October 22)
“Six months into Donald Trump’s trade war, the resilience of Chinese exports is proving just how essential many of its products remain even after US levies of 55%.” The weaknesses of Trump’s tariffs are becoming clear. They “appear somewhat limited in their ability to control what American firms import, as China’s sway over sectors such as rare earths and electronics makes its products hard to dislodge.” On top of that, loopholes play a factor. “American importers are able to pay a lower levy by declaring the customs value of goods based on their first sale in a third country, and then raising the price when the items reach a US port. Transhipping via Mexico or Vietnam means some firms are likely not paying the full tax.”
Tags: China, Customs value, Dislodge, Electronics, Essential, Exports, Importers, Loopholes, Mexico, Price, Products, Rare earths, Resilience, Tariffs, Trade war, Transhipping, Trump, U.S., Vietnam
Market Watch (October 1)
“A tiny mining town in western North Carolina was among those battered by Hurricane Helene — and the damage could have serious implications for the massive tech-industry supply chain that relies on it.” Two mines in Spruce Pine account for about 80–90% of the “high-purity quartz used in semiconductor manufacturing.” Most foundries carry a several month inventory, but if repairs take longer it “could lead to supply-chain bottlenecks and temporary price increases on chips and electronics.”
Tags: Battered, Bottlenecks, Chips, Damage, Electronics, Foundries, Hurricane Helene, Implications, Inventory, Mining, North Carolina, Quartz, Repairs, Semiconductors, Serious, Supply chain, Tech industry
BBC (December 19)
“Once a poster boy for Japan’s dominance in electronics—known as Japan Inc—the company has delisted, ending a 74-year history with Tokyo’s stock exchange.” The reasons for “such a spectacular fall from grace” are numerous and the challenge for Japan Investment Corp (JIC), which led a group of investors in purchasing the remnants for $14 billion, is immense. While JIC has successfully revived other failing businesses, “Toshiba is a much bigger company and the stakes are high.”
Tags: $14 billion, Challenge, Delisted, Dominance, Electronics, Failing businesses, Fall, Japan Inc., JIC Investors, Revived, Stakes, Toshiba, TSE
Washington Post (October 2)
“The commercial pipeline that each year brings $1 trillion worth of toys, clothing, electronics and furniture from Asia to the United States is clogged and no one knows how to unclog it.” The median cost of container shipping *from China to the West Coast of the United States hit a record $20,586, almost twice what it cost in July, which was twice what it cost in January.” Supply chain problems are now “expected to last through 2022.”
Tags: 2022, Asia, China, Clogged, Clothing, Commercial, Container, Cost, Electronics, Furniture, Pipeline, Record, Shipping, Supply chain, Toys, U.S., West Coast
New York Times (May 30)
“E-commerce has been embraced for all manner of goods and services — books, travel, groceries, electronics — but auto sales have resisted the trend.” Consumers do frequently conduct research over the internet, but ultimately “have gone to dealers for most transactions. With the coronavirus and stay-at-home orders, that is changing.”
Tags: Auto sales, Books, Consumers, Dealers, E-commerce, Electronics, Goods, Groceries, Internet, Research, Services, Travel
New York Times (March 30)
“There’s nothing pretty about the details of Foxconn’s deal to take control of Sharp. And fixing Sharp, the loss-making Japanese electronics manufacturer, will be a tough slog for Foxconn.” But this transaction may just make history. It presents Exhibit A that Japan is capable of the sort of corporate reform critical to overhauling its economy.”
Tags: Corporate reform, Economy, Electronics, Foxconn, History, Japan, Loss-making, Manufacturer, Sharp
The Economist (July 12)
“Electronics companies in Japan are starting to turn themselves around, but they are a shadow of their former selves…. After years of denial that surgery was needed, optimism is rising that Japan’s consumer-electronics firms are facing up to their steady loss of global market share.”
Tags: Consumer electronics, Denial, Electronics, Japan, Loss, Market share, Optimism, Surgery, Turn around
The Economist (October 1)
“Now the world’s biggest technology firm, measured by sales,” Samsung Electronics “makes more televisions than any other company.” Samsung is emerging as Asia’s version of General Electric, having “outstripped the Japanese firms it once mimicked.” But the secret of Samsung’s success is nothing new. Samsung is “a well-run family firm, with a strong culture and a focus on the long term, which has made good use of an indulgent state.”
“Now the world’s biggest technology firm, measured by sales,” Samsung Electronics “makes more televisions than any other company.” Samsung is emerging as Asia’s version of General Electric, having “outstripped the Japanese firms it once mimicked.” But the secret of Samsung’s success is nothing new. Samsung is “a well-run family firm, with a strong culture and a focus on the long term, which has made good use of an indulgent state.”
