Archive for the ‘China’ Category

Speaking at a World Economic Forum in New Delhi, Carlos Ghosn -- head of Nissan Motor Company and Renault SA -- had some interesting things to say about the global auto industry. Among the most notable and encouraging items, Ghosn believes that the international sales slump has ended and that the industry is beginning to rebound. He had previously predicted global sales to ring in around 55 million units, but has now upgraded that figure to 60 million. (For reference, 2008 and 2007 each saw sales in the 70-million-unit range.)

Like his rivals at Toyota, Ghosn attributes much of the rebound to sales incentives offered by governments around...

In what could be one of General Motors' smartest moves in recent years, the company has announced plans to roll out its popular OnStar system in China. This marks the first time OnStar will be offered outside North America. The service will be available as of December 6 -- first in Cadillacs, then Buicks, and eventually Chevrolet models. Subscription pricing was not included in the announcement.

GM's decision isn't surprising. China's economy is growing by leaps and bounds, and by all appearances, the country is recovering faster than others from the global economic crisis. Those factors, along with China's continuing trend toward...

A week ago, Bengt Halvorson mentioned the federal government's plan to impose a 35% tariff on tires imported from China. In a move that should surprise absolutely no one, China has now begun laying the groundwork for retaliation: according to the AP, the Chinese government "is carrying out a probe of some imports of American-made autos", allegedly at the request of unnamed Chinese automakers. We don't know the focus of the investigation just yet, but would anyone be shocked if it resulted in new taxes on vehicles imported to China from the U.S.? [BusinessInsider]