Shanghai lockdown creates new supply chain concerns for OEMs

An extended lockdown in the city is not only disrupting operations at OEM facilities in mainland China but is also causing a major drop in revenue for electric vehicle and interior component suppliers in the region.

A dramatic surge in new COVID-19 infections and the breakout of a new sub-strain of the Omicron variant forced the mainland Chinese government to impose a full-scale lockdown in the country’s financial hub, Shanghai, from early April. Shanghai is a major automotive component manufacturing hub as well, and a prolonged lockdown in the city would cause significant disruptions to vehicle production in the region, and logistical barriers hindering export of parts from the country.