Financial problems of European automotive parts manufacturers
“According to the latest study CLAP (European Association of Automotive Parts Manufacturers – PAP) and McKinsey, 68 percent. European suppliers of parts and components forecast to remain low this year profitabilityand 38 percent expects a balance on its border,” said Bęben. He added that these results are “appalling” and show that parts producers “are facing unprecedented difficulties.”
In Bębno’s opinion industry problems are caused by the transformation associated with implementation of European climate policywhich led to reducing demand for vehiclesand therefore also for parts intended for first assembly. “Their manufacturers are struggling with rising operating costs and increasingly difficult negotiations with vehicle manufacturers, who are putting pressure on component suppliers to lower the prices of their products and thus shoulder the burden of reducing vehicle production costs,” said the president of SDCM and member of the management board. CLAP.
Political tensions and the EU’s strategic dialogue on motoring
The industry fears political tensions will increase in 2025 competitive pressure from the United States and China. Drum reminded that Donald Trump announced radical steps in trade policy not only towards Chinabut also Europe, which was alarming European Commission. Ursula von der Leyen announced at the end of November strategic dialogue on topic the future of the automotive industry in Europe. It is expected to be launched in January and will be attended by key stakeholders from across the sector, including European automotive companies, trade unions, business associations. The aim of the dialogue is to urgently implement the solutions needed by the industry.
The EC announcement announced that the Strategic Dialogue will lead to the development of specific strategies and solutions supporting the global competitiveness of automotive production in Europe. “It will focus in particular on supporting data-driven innovation and digitalisation, building on forward-looking technologies such as artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles; supporting the decarbonisation of the sector through an open technology approach; addressing employment, skills and other social aspects in the sector ; simplifying and modernizing the regulatory framework; increasing demand, strengthening the sector’s financial resources and its resilience in an increasingly competitive international environment,” the European Commission said.
Criticism of overregulation and marginalization of innovation in Europe
In the opinion of the president of SDCM, the dialogue proposed by the EC will be the last opportunity to take action to save the European automotive sector. “Unfortunately, there are many indications that Europe is serving what would seem to be a Polish specialty – i.e. mustard after dinner. The EU can boast that it has the best regulated automotive industry in the world, but its position in the global game is increasingly marginalized. The same is true in in the case of artificial intelligence, which was mentioned in the EC’s announcement. The EU proudly declares that it was the first to introduce regulations regarding AI, but it does not count in this field at all in the technological race,” he emphasized. Drum.
The president of SDCM pointed out that there are also examples of overregulation regarding the latest technologies in Poland. “What I mean here are the regulations that make it difficult to test vehicles with advanced driver assistance systems. They are already in use in many places around the world fully autonomous taxisand meanwhile we are designing legislative solutions that complicate road testing of vehicles driven by professional drivers,” he noted.
Challenges for the European automotive industry related to climate policy
According to Bębno, although the assumptions EU climate policy are right, their implementation made them European automotive industry is in an extremely difficult situation today. “We are up against a wall. The lack of flexibility of the European Commission and lack of support for the industry at this crucial moment threatens to completely marginalize it. If we do not want Europe to become only a consumer of technologies created on other continents, we must act immediately. The current term of office of the European Commission will be crucial for competitiveness of the automotive industry and the entire European economy“- he noted.
Decrease in exports of the Polish automotive industry
According to data from the Central Statistical Office, during the first three quarters of last year Automotive industry products worth EUR 37.56 billion were exported from Poland. This is a result of 19.44 percent. lower than in the same period of the previous year.
Invariably, for years, the most important foreign partners of the automotive industry have been customers from German. After three quarters of 2024, the value of exports to this country amounted to EUR 11.76 billion, or 34.49%. whole. That’s 9.84 percent. less than in the same period of the previous year. The next sales markets are: France (9.0% of the total, EUR 3.07 billion, -4.62%), Italy (6.81% of the total, EUR 2.32 billion, -0.75%). and the Czech Republic (6.75% of the total, EUR 2.3 billion, -5.17%).
Record growth in exports of automotive parts and accessories
In the period January-September last year exports of parts and accessories reached EUR 13.20 billion – 0.46 billion more (+3.66%) than in the same period of the previous year. This is also a new record for the first three quarters of the year. Parts and accessories account for 38.72%. total exports of the industry compared to 30.09 percent a year earlier. (PAP)
gkc/ drag/