Banking on gloomy automotive sales in Thailand, Chinese automakers seized the opportunity to double down their presence by positioning their cars as pocket-friendly. Brands that have market presence in Thailand include MG Motors, Great Wall Motors, BYD, Geely, Changan, Neta and Xpeng. Changan has also doubled down its footprint in the country.

However, Changan debuted its electric vehicle (EV) named AVATR on 17 September 2024 in Thailand, Xinhua learnt. The AVATR 11, an SUV coupe that marks Changan’s fourth model introduction in Thailand, following the launches of the Deepal L07 and S07 last year and the Lumin L earlier this year.

“AVATR is committed to leading in the development of EVs, meeting current needs, and moving toward a future of smart automotive solutions connected to daily life,” said Shen Xinghua, Managing Director of Changan Auto Southeast Asia.

Together with its major partners, China’s leading battery manufacturer CATL and technology giant Huawei, Changan has developed cutting-edge automotive innovations, signifying a new era of intelligent driving where technology and convenience are seamlessly integrated, Shen told the launch event.

In his opening speech, Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Pirapan Salirathavibhaga highlighted the importance of investments from Chinese carmakers in stimulating the economy and aiding the development of Thailand’s industrial sector. Last year, Changan announced an investment of THB 8.86 billion ($265 million) to construct its first overseas EV production plant in Thailand, which is scheduled to start operation in 2025 with an initial capacity of 100,000 units per year.

Thailand has long been a regional automotive manufacturing and export hub. With the government’s investment promotion efforts, the nation aims to convert 30% of its annual auto production into EVs by 2030.

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Source: Bangkok Post

The issue resurfaced after Temu, a major Chinese platform that sells cheap products directly from Chinese manufacturers without intermediaries, entered the Thai market, sparking worries about Thai businesses collapse and leading to calls for tax measures to address the situation.

There are also concerns about the increasing number of Chinese brick-and-mortar stores opening in major cities across Thailand, raising alarm about price dumping and product quality. Responding to these concerns, Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai insisted the Thai government would never respond to these problems by imposing trade barriers or tariffs for the sake Thai-Chinese relations. 

Additionally, China is a major export destination for several Thai agricultural products. If Thailand imposes a trade barrier on Chinese products, these Thai products imported to China might end up facing retaliatory measures.

Sahassawat Kumkong, a People’s Party MP for Chon Buri, slammed Mr Phumtham’s remarks, saying the Pheu Thai Party-led government is simply refusing to act against the influx of cheap Chinese-made products. Thailand has experienced a trade deficit with China for 11 consecutive years now, with the last two years seeing a deficit reaching as high as US$36 billion (THB1.27 trillion), he said.

Since other ASEAN nations — including Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam — are also facing a similar situation with Chinese cheap products, Thailand would be better off seeking a collective action with these nations to curb the problem, Sahassawat added.

“First of all, the Thai government has to accept the truth that the influx of Chinese capital [into Thailand and the other countries] is a real problem. Prospective trade opportunities [eyed by the Thai government] will never make up for Thailand’s [escalating] trade deficit with China” he stressed.

Up until now the Thai government has yet to put in place any serious measures to deal with the problem, not even a letter to the Chinese company accused of dumping on Thailand’s online market, he said.

Sittiphol Viboonthanakul, a list-MP of People’s Party in his capacity as Chairman of the House committee on business development, pointed to the urgent need for the government to take proper action against the influx of cheap Chinese products and other related problems.

Citing information told at the recent meeting of the House committee, he said many Thai business operators in 25 out of 46 industrial sectors in the country have been severely affected by these problems. The impact was reflected in the about 30% drop in production in these 25 industrial sectors, he said, adding the Federation of Thai Industries had observed that 111 factories have closed down in the past few months, he said.

Temu, meanwhile enjoys a twelve-fold growth each month, said Sittiphol. Responding to concerns raised over the Temu disruption, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has instructed the government agencies concerned to find a way to ensure all imported products sold online and offline in Thailand are regulated under Thai law, for the sake of both consumer protection and fair competition.

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First it was other consumer goods; clothing and miscellaneous stuffs. Now, it is electronics, semiconductors and electric vehicles (EV). Goods from the republic has invaded most parts of the world, catalysing various sanctions for fear of monopoly. Are sanctions a viable solution to protect the country’s economy?

Business Insider noted, Chinese manufacturers are pumping out so many solar panels that the resulting global glut and price crash are prompting some people to line their garden fences with them.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen reportedly is seeking to address over-manufacturing during her visit to China. Yellen is one of the top US officials who have visited China during Biden’s tenure. Yellen said that the problem of excess Chinese manufacturing capacity had intensified recently, according to Reuters. She said it was “leading to production capacity that significantly exceeds China’s domestic demand, as well as what the global market can bear.” Yellen said other regions feeling the heat from China’s overproduction included Europe, Mexico, and Japan. 

Japan Concedes China’s Formidability

In the automotive segment, Suzuki remains composed despite Indonesia’s automotive market is increasingly bustling with the Chinese brands entering and seeking a niche in the EV segment, Kompas reported. Chery, Neta, Build Your Dreams (BYD), Great Wall Motor (GWM), and newcomer GAC have attracted domestic consumers with affordable prices for pure EVs or Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV).

Suzuki, a major automotive manufacturer from Japan, actually welcomes the competition. This is in spite of its earthshaking announcement of its plan to cease assembling cars in Thailand, one of its major markets.

“We are very open and very happy with the various competitions that exist. This means all competitions will enliven the automotive industry in Indonesia, consumers will have many choices and we are happy to undergo the competition,” Harold Donnel, 4W Marketing Director of PT Suzuki Indomobil Sales (SIS), told Kompas.com in South Jakarta.

Suzuki to date does not have EVs, yet remains confident in selling its vehicle product line, some of which are equipped with mild hybrid technology. As its current focus is on presenting vehicles that fit into the public’s purchasing power segment.

Elsewhere, Financial Times have also observed Japan is increasingly apprehensive with China. Japanese carmakers are “very scared” by the rapid development of Chinese electric vehicles and risk becoming “followers” if they cannot innovate more quickly, the head of Sony-Honda’s joint venture has warned.

Yasuhide Mizuno said Japan’s companies needed to change their conservative corporate culture and called for a breakthrough in manufacturing to keep up with Chinese rivals, which within a few years have become some of the world’s leading vehicle exporters.

“Chinese competitors are very strong, and I’m very scared of their implementation and execution speed,” said Mizuno, Chief Executive of Sony Honda Mobility, at the company’s headquarters in Tokyo. “Japanese carmakers are a bit nervous or sensitive before launching a car. We need to change this kind of behaviour, otherwise China will be first and we will always be followers,” added Mizuno, who led Honda’s China operations until 2020.

Despite an ambitious target to phase out petrol cars by 2040, Honda has lagged behind rivals in the global race for electrification. It agreed to team up with Nissan in March to develop EVs in order to survive the competition against high-tech, low-cost models from China.

The 50-50 joint venture between Honda and Sony was established in 2022 to combine Honda’s car manufacturing strength with Sony’s software and entertainment expertise. The company plans to start delivering its EV to North America by 2026.

Mizuno said Chinese competitors were moving faster than he had anticipated. Buoyed by large government subsidies and the recruitment of top Japanese, European and US engineers, the development time of Chinese EVs — from concept to production — has shrunk to as little as 18 months, he estimated, adding that was less than half of the time it took to develop a car in Japan.

“Since China-made EVs will not be entering the US, the choices for consumers will be limited,” Mizuno said. “But instead of feeling good that Chinese cars will not be coming in, I feel that we should launch a car that can directly compete with Chinese rivals.”

Afeela, Sony-Honda’s premium car meant to showcase how software can be incorporated into the manufacturing process, will target what Mizuno described as “wealthy geeks” and will not be mass produced. Mizuno added that Japanese carmakers should not be complacent after the US quadrupled tariffs on Chinese EVs to 100%, in effect shutting out groups such as BYD and Nio from the market.

Despite a recent slowdown in the rapid growth of EVs, Mizuno said he still expected EV sales to dominate the US, Chinese and European car markets by 2035. Sony is expected to benefit from the joint venture by moving closer to the car manufacturing process and boosting sales of image sensors to the sector. However, many analysts have questioned what Honda has to gain from the partnership.

Mizuno argued the joint venture would be equally valuable for Honda since it would obtain expertise in software development from Sony engineers. “Software might be the new weapon in the car development process,” he said.

Tech Tsunami

Foreign companies are also moving their manufacturing facilities out of China to establish production hubs in other countries as trade tensions continue to brew between China and the US. Malaysia, the world’s sixth largest exporter of semiconductors in the world, has greatly benefited from this strategy known as China Plus One, where companies diversify their business outside of China.

Malaysia has a 50-year edge in the sector given that Intel established its first international manufacturing plant in the northern state of Penang. Intel is also building another factory in Penang that will be the US States chip giant firm’s overseas facility for advanced 3D chip packaging.

Malaysia is on a particularly attractive spot given that many semiconductor and EV companies relocating to Southeast Asia to bypass trade restrictions and strengthen their supply chains. The country has an existing ecosystem in Penang and the neighbouring Kulim in Kedah. This provides an option for technology companies seeking to date-risk amidst intense rivalries between the US and China over cutting-edge technologies.

Beijing reportedly knows the country has an overcapacity problem in some sectors, which is also bad for its own economy. After all, Chinese solar manufacturers are feeling the heat from solar-panel overcapacity. In March, Longi Green Energy Technology, the world’s largest solar-cell manufacturer, announced it was laying off thousands of workers amid overcapacity and low prices.

Following China’s annual parliamentary sessions last month, Chinese Premier Li Qiang pledged in his annual policy report to “prevent overcapacity” in key industries. Still, China is framing the West’s concerns about overcapacity as protectionism and as moves to curtail the country’s economic development.

“While it is just basic economics that surplus products naturally seek out markets elsewhere once domestic demand is met, and Western nations have been doing that for centuries, when it comes to China, it becomes an ‘overcapacity problem’ threatening the world,” China’s Xinhua state news agency wrote in an opinion piece in late March, calling the West’s critique a “double standard.”

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Foreign companies are moving their manufacturing facilities out of China to establish production hubs in other countries as trade tensions continue to brew between China and the US. Malaysia, the world’s sixth largest exporter of semiconductors in the world, has greatly benefited from this strategy known as China Plus One, where companies diversify their business outside of China.

Malaysia has a 50-year edge in the sector given that Intel established its first international manufacturing plant in the northern state of Penang. Intel is also building another factory in Penang that will be the US States chip giant firm’s overseas facility for advanced 3D chip packaging. Malaysia is on a particularly attractive spot given that many semiconductor and electric vehicle companies relocating to Southeast Asia to bypass trade restrictions and strengthen their supply chains.

The country has an existing ecosystem in Penang and the neighbouring Kulim in Kedah. This provides an option for technology companies seeking to date-risk amidst intense rivalries between the US and China over cutting-edge technologies.

Philippines — The Alternative Location

It seems Philippines is also attracting attention from Chinese enterprises, Manufacturing Asia noted. JLL, a global real estate company, states that companies are diversifying their manufacturing locations across India and Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, to offset supply chain disruptions in China.

China has dominated global manufacturing for decades. However, JLL noted that companies are “increasingly diversifying their operations elsewhere, adding manufacturing bases outside of China to hedge against supply chain disruptions.” Rising costs in China, the firm said, have pushed manufacturers to expand to other countries, with land prices in China being up to twice higher than in Southeast Asian countries and India.

Michael Ignatiadis, JLL Asia Pacific Head of Manufacturing Strategy stated that diversification within supply chains is a natural step for companies involved in manufacturing within the wider economic lifecycle of Southeast Asia and India. The Philippines, in particular, has caught the attention of the US with its inclusion in the CHIPS Act, which aims to expand and diversify the semiconductor supply chain such as integrated circuits, RF/microwave, and assembly and testing services.

JLL also noted the record-high of US$49.1 billion in electronics exports in 2022, including consumer and industrial electronics, as well as telecommunication equipment. The firm, added the manufacturing sector should make a careful evaluation of non-cost or qualitative factors when deciding to diversify.

Skilled labour, infrastructure, environmental regulations, proximity to suppliers and political stability are all crucial for long-term success and sustainability in manufacturing operations. Peter Guevarra JLL Asia Pacific Director and research consultancy said that each economy in Southeast Asia is at a different level of its manufacturing storey.

“But we can confidently say that policymakers are extremely keen to take advantage of diversification initiatives of supply chains,” he stressed.

Companies must also carefully evaluate various factors such as costs, market access, infrastructure, labour and governmental support before making investment decisions. 

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They started rolling out electric vehicles (EVs) assembled in Thailand in the local market in compliance with the government’s EV3.0 policy, which aims to balance locally produced vehicles with exports. Thansettakij, a Thai-language media arm of the Nation Group, reported MG4 Electric cars have been assembled at the SAIC Motor-CP factory in Chonburi since April with slight adjustments. China’s Hozon Motors are also assembling their NETA V-11 in Thailand.

The MG4 Electric Standard Range now features a 49 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery instead of a 51kWh one, offering 423 kilometres per charge. The car costs THB 709,900 (US$ 12,250). 

NETA V-11 (Minorchange), assembled at the Bangchan General Assembly factory in Bangkok, comes equipped with a 36.1kWh battery providing a range of 382 kilometres per charge. It comes in Lite and Smart models, priced at THB 549,000 (US$ 14,882) and THB 569,000 (US$ 15,424), respectively.

Meanwhile, the ORA Good Cat now includes lithium-iron-phosphate batteries, with reduced prices. The the ORA Good Cat Pro starts at THB 799,000 (US$ 21,659), THB 899,000 (US$ 24,370) for the Ultra and THB 1.09 million (US$ 29,548) for the GT model. 

BYD’s Dolphin assembled in Rayong province will be launched in this month with prices starting at THB 559,900 (US$ 15,178) for the Standard Range, and THB 699,900 (US$ 18,980) for the Extended Range. Other Chinese manufacturers such as Omoda & Jaecoo, Guangzhou Xiaopeng Motors Technology and Zeekr Intelligent Technology Holding plan to launch their EV models in Thailand in H2 2024.

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Source: Sammobile.com

The global smartphone market saw a decline of 12 percent year-over-year in Q3 2022. Thanks to the quarterly growth of Apple and Samsung, the global smartphone market managed to cross the 300 million units mark.

The market had failed to reach even the 300 million mark in Q2 2022 but managed to do so in this one, which is not such bad news for the smartphone industry. The last quarter’s poor performance was driven by global political scenarios, economic instability, negative consumer sentiment, and other factors.

There is some good news for Samsung, though. According to the report, it witnessed 5 percent QoQ growth to 64 million in Q3 2022, thanks to the tremendous sales of the Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip phones. However, its YoY shipments fell by 8 percent because of the decrease in consumer sentiment in key markets across the globe.

The Early Launch Of iPhones Helped Apple To Be The Only Smartphone To See YoY Growth

Apple was the only top-5 smartphone brand to grow compared to Q3 2021, with shipments increasing by 2 percent year-over-year. It helped Apple increase its market share by 2 points, to 16 percent. Top Chinese smartphone brands such as Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo also suffered hugely because of the lockdowns in the home country.

They did manage to capitalise on Apple and Samsung’s exit from the Russian market, though. Associate Director Jan Stryjak said, “With the full force of the latest iPhone launch being felt in Q4, we expect further quarterly improvement in the coming quarter.”

He also added that it is highly unlikely that global smartphone shipments will reach last year’s levels, let alone reach the pre-pandemic levels of over 400 million units. Also, going into 2023, the smartphone market is expected to remain sluggish, at least in the first half of the year.

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By Alex Misoyannis, drive.com.au

Electric-car specialist BYD is believed to be the first ever mass-market Chinese automaker to enter the Japanese market – offering a range of small and mid-size cars. While Chinese cars are becoming increasingly popular in Australia – with MG, Great Wall Motors, Haval and LDV among the country’s fastest-growing brands – they are few and far between in Japan, limited largely to the ultra-exclusive and extremely niche Hongqi luxury limousine, and a few vans from Geely.

Emerging electric vehicle (EV) maker Build Your Dreams (BYD) is looking to change that, announcing plans to enter Japan with three new models next year: the Atto 3 small SUV, Dolphin hatch, and Seal sedan.

BYD has sold battery packs, electric buses, forklifts in Japan since as early as 1999 – but it’s the first time it has sold passenger cars in the country. The Chinese electric car brand’s launch in Japan next year will come months after its full-scale arrival in Australia and New Zealand, starting with the BYD Atto 3 – due in a network of showrooms from August, priced from $44,381 plus on-road costs.

Based on previous statements from BYD’s Australian importer, EVDirect, local orders for two more models are due to open “by December 2022” – expected to be the BYD Dolphin and BYD Seal, badged under the Atto brand (likely Atto 2 and Atto 4).

The BYD Atto 3 is due to be the first of the company’s vehicles to launch in Japan, in January 2023, followed by the Dolphin (without Atto badging) in mid 2023, and the Seal in the second half of next year. 

Japan is a notoriously difficult market for foreign brands to gain traction, and customer acceptance. Of the 4.4 million cars sold in Japan last year, only about 340,000 (or less than eight per cent) were imported – a figure that, if all imported vehicles were sold under one brand, would only rank sixth on the best sellers list.

In contrast – when hybrids and plug-in hybrids are excluded, areas in which Toyota and other Japanese brands dominate – about 40 percent of battery-electric car sales in Japan come from brands other than Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi or Honda.

That’s a result of sprawling EV line-ups from European brands – including Mercedes-Benz, BMW and VW, which were Japan’s 11th, 13th and 14th best-selling brands in 2021 – contrasted with most Japanese car makers’ hesitancy towards fully-electric vehicles.

Car giant Toyota – which accounted for one in three cars sold in its home market last year – only launched its first mass-produced global electric car in Japan a few months ago, while Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Honda offer no more than one or two full EVs each.

It is worth noting that Nissan owns a majority of Japan’s fully-electric car market, thanks to the popularity of its Leaf small car.

“Over the years, BYD has been deeply engaged in the Japanese market and has accumulated a good market and brand foundation through its pure electric buses, energy storage systems, pure electric forklifts and other businesses. Today … BYD officially hits the new energy passenger vehicle market in Japan,” said BYD Chairman and President, Wang Chuanfu.

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