Carmakers Battle to Find Supplies of Rare Earths as China Tightens Its Grip

Daimler Truck says rare earth supply concerns have led to more inventory building

GOTHENBURG, Sweden (Reuters) -Obstacles to the supply of key raw materials from China have prompted truckmaker Daimler Truck to increase its inventories in the short term, CEO Karin Radstrom told reporters after a conference in Gothenburg on Tuesday. Radstrom said the chip crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic had already shown that vehicle manufacturing could no longer rely as heavily on just-in-time deliveries. The German truck manufacturer had …

Carmakers battle to find supplies of rare earths as China tightens its grip

Mercedes-Benz among groups looking to secure alternative sources of vital materials after China tightens export curbs

Ford's closed multiple factories over Chinese magnet shortage, supply still "day to day"

Ford employee meeting | Oliver Berg/Pool/AFP via Getty ImagesFor many of us, President Trump’s trade war with China is distant. It’s abstract. It doesn’t affect our day-to-day lives. But thousands of Ford employees were told not to bother coming to work. Why? Because the automaker had to close multiple factories when China sought tariff revenge by limiting Ford’s supply of rare magnets. The automaker’s CEO finally went on record to reveal the cu…

Ford faces production setbacks amid rare earth magnet shortage

Ford Motor Co. is facing continued disruption in its vehicle production due to a shortage of rare earth magnets, which has already caused the temporary shutdown of one of its key assembly plants. The automaker idled its Chicago factory, which builds the Explorer SUV, for one week last month as supplies ran low. CEO Jim Farley said the company is still struggling to secure enough rare earth materials to maintain consistent production, describing …

Ford CEO Says Rare Earth Shortages Disrupting Production Amid China Export Limits

Ford Motor is facing persistent disruptions in its supply of rare earth magnets, Chief Executive Jim Farley said on Friday, as tightened export rules from China continue to challenge Western automakers’ access to key materials. Speaking to Bloomberg News, Farley described the situation as critical. “It’s day to day,” he said. “We have had to [...] The post Ford CEO Says Rare Earth Shortages Disrupting Production Amid China Export Limits appeared…