The car industry’s China crisis

New cars could soon start disappearing from Britain’s forecourts, with the latest supply chain crunch threatening to cripple the global motor industry. It’s a crisis that once again delivers a stark warning about the dangers of over-dependence on China and the costs of succumbing to Beijing’s predatory trade practices.

The automotive industry is currently facing a critical shortage of magnesium, which is an essential raw material for the production of aluminium alloys, including gearboxes, steering columns, fuel tank covers and seat frames. Stockpiles are running low, there is no substitute for magnesium in the production of aluminium sheets, and China has a near monopoly on the market.

In Germany, Europe’s motor manufacturing powerhouse, there are concerns that supplies might be exhausted by the end of next month. ‘It is expected that the current magnesium inventories in Germany and respectively in the whole of Europe will be exhausted by the end of November 2021,’ said Germany’s association of metals producers in a letter to the German government.