SUPPLIER EYE

Just when it seems that the industry isn't facing enough challenges, COVID-19 swoops in out of the blue. No extraneous shock that's hit the automotive sector in the past decade-including a tsunami, floods, tornados, critical-supplier facility fires and multi-week labor stoppages-compares with this global health crisis. To an extent, the previous events have had a defined impact with a light at the tunnel's end. COVID-19's full impact is much less certain.

Both short- and long-term ramifications are likely to result from COVID-19. Beyond the obvious threat to life, the industry must grapple with new supply-and-demand challenges. While disruptions first became obvious through China's Wuhan area, the interconnected automotive supply chain immediately rose to the surface. Subsequent issues in other parts of China, South Korea, Italy and other countries have and will certainly stress the global ecosystem. I doubt that all issues will be behind us soon, though I'm hopeful that the virus's spread will be abated in due course.