Local auto makers eyeing parts from Asean sources

Local car makers will try to purchase their parts temporarily from other sources due to a supply disruption in Japan, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. said Thursday.

“Although the supply of vehicles to date is ample to meet the market demand at this time, common problems across brand makes are starting to affect the production of vehicles locally. Common issues include logistics and the disruption to the supply chain for some key parts,” Campi president Elizabeth Lee said.

She said auto makers had inventories to supply demand.”But the production of models for the coming months will be affected to a degree where lacking parts are yet to be supplied to complete the vehicles to be assembled in the plants,” she said.

“As a result, [the] Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ governments are requested to accept vehicles whose parts are sourced from different suppliers who are equally compliant with required standards to be accepted even prior to obtaining type approvals for the specific parts,” Lee said. –Julito G. Rada, Manila Standard Today