Automakers back on their production road
Almost 85 percent of China's automobile production bases had resumed production by March 3, according to data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
The ministry also said that over 66 percent of employees in automotive companies had returned to work.
After the COVID-19 outbreak, some automakers postponed production. In order to ease the pressure faced by the industry, the Chinese government has released favorable policies to stabilize the market and promote purchases of new cars.
According to the ministry data, auto companies have basically resumed production except for key epidemic areas. The resumption of production will also reduce the pressure on car sales to a certain extent.
The ministry said it had also helped manufacturers test vehicles with a winter test site in northern China. A total of 25 auto companies have tested models at the site.
Staff are busy assembling vehicles at a factory owned by Chinese commercial vehicle manufacturer JAC Motors in Jiangsu Province on March 4.
Yangzhou Jianghuai Light Vehicle Sales and Service Co Ltd resumed work on February 12. With the help of robots, it has gradually regained its production capacity. In the workshop, employees keep at a safe distance as they work.
The company said about 98 percent of employees had returned to work and production basically restored. A backlog of 1,400 pickups in February would be completed before March 5, it said.
In March, orders flooded in from overseas, such as from South America and Africa, including one for 1,800 vehicles. It said its output value for March would exceed 300 million yuan (US$43.2 million).
French auto parts maker Faurecia said that all its factories except for those in Hubei Province had resumed production. The company established an internal epidemic prevention and control mechanism to minimize the impact of the epidemic on its business operation.
It conducted in-depth cleaning of offices and factories, temperature measurement and health status registration. The company said it is also paying close attention to the supply chain, working closely with automakers and business partners to resolve potential problems and ensure that business and production are back on track as soon as possible.
Changchun Xuyang Faurecia Acoustics & Soft Trim Co Ltd, a joint venture between Changchun Xuyang Industry (Group) Co and Faurecia, resumed production on February 11 with about 98.5 percent of employees back at work.
The joint venture is tracking the health status of employees and responding to government requirements for epidemic prevention work. In addition, it is adjusting production plans based on information from carmakers.
