La Chine punit GM

GM dont la survie dépend principalement de la Chine , peut trembler . En effet , euphorisé par les résultats de ces dernières années , GM ne peut pas suffisamment fournir et dès 2010 a envisagé la construction d'"une nouvelle usine capable de produire 300 000 véhicules supplementaires par année .Oui mais voilà l'état chinois qui tire les ficelles des équilibres économiques du pays a décidé de freiner cette frénésie de la voiture individuelle et 2011 a vu les ventes stagner voire régresser . Et alors que GM attendait son feu vert , le projet n'a finalement pas été validé .Parce qu'entre temps le veto américain frappant Youngman n'a pas du tout plu aux instances chinoises qui elles avaient approuvé le plan .
Alors aujourd'hui GM se voit contraint de ranger ses plans expansionistes dans un tiroir pour ne pas dire dans ses valises :
"Nous n'allons pas dépenser un milliard de smackers si nous devons être expulsés" a déclaré un porte-parole de chez GM .

So far, G.M.'s biggest problem in China has been keeping up with demand.

The four factories they co-habit with SAIC can only turn out so many vehicles.

So they have been making plans for a brand new assembly plant that will cost over one billion dollars to erect and will be able to build an additional 300,000 cars.

But that was against yesterday's reality.

Traffic congestion and pollution was becoming a real problem in China's major cities.  So the Government, which can do pretty much what it pleases, cut the number of new cars it would allow to be sold.

Result, the growth in China's new car market was basically nil in 2011.

And there's no sign that these quotas will be eased.

Second issue.

China is in the throws of selecting a whole new set of leaders.  We shouldn't say "China" as much as "the Communist Party."  These new leaders may have much different ideas about foreign companies, car ownership, allowable profits, and a host of other issues.

If they figure that widespread new car ownership is not in the national interest, we have seen they have no qualms about shutting off the tap.

If they decide that foreign car companies have no place in their future China, they can simply pass a law.

They have already reversed their acceptance of foreign investment in local firms.  And in China, if something isn't allowed, its pretty much forbidden.

Finally, there's the imbroglio over the sale of Saab to China's Youngman.

G.M. scotched that deal, fearing their technology originally given to Saab would be made freely available to the whole of China's car industry.

This cannot win them many hearts in Beijing.

And Youngman is still in the hunt.

G.M. recently received approval to go ahead with the plant from the local Environmental Protection Bureau.

But G.M. now says that a plan hasn't been finalized.

Which is corporate-speak for "We're not going to spend a billion smackers if we're going to get kicked out."

Though is a somewhat hackneyed phrase, doing business in China has many moving parts.

No wonder G.M. is being cautious.

source carnewser.com