China's suppliers will not bridge quality gap soon.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)

Automotive News Europe,  July, 2004  by Saint-Seine, Sylviane de

• E-mail
• Print
• Link

Byline: Sylviane de Saint-Seine

China's suppliers will need up to eight years to bridge the quality gap with their Western counterparts, US consultant Mercer says.

In a study released in Paris, Mercer said fears that China will swamp the world with auto parts are unfounded.

Key components such as powertrains or bodies are up to 50 percent more expensive than in Europe, the US or Japan. On average, parts made in China cost 18 percent more to produce than in developed countries, says Mercer.

Components made in China are expensive because of its limited economy-of- scale ...

Read the rest of this article with a Free Trial at HighBeam Research.