Logistics, a growing challenge for automotive components
A global industry dependent on the international supply chain
The complex situation of the international logistics landscape, in addition to economic uncertainty, argues for a decline in car registrations in Europe in 2022. This is mainly due to the limited supply of vehicles due to the shortage of semiconductors, as the manufacturers' association ACEA itself acknowledges. In this context, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (Clepa) places global supply chain disruptions as the main threat to the automotive components industry. While the previous report focused on the problem of semiconductor shortages, now more than 60 percent of those surveyed by the association point to rising costs in the logistics chain as their biggest concern.
“The global problems derived from the pandemic and the complicated international scenario have shown the complex interconnection of the automotive logistics chain, in which a small delay in one of the links has repercussions on the entire production,” explains Andreu Gutiérrez, Country Sales Director Road of Rhenus Logistics in Spain. For the Rhenus executive, this context is an opportunity for component manufacturers to redefine their logistics and assess the possibility of choosing the best partner to entrust their supply chain to.
How to choose the best logistics partner for the automotive industry?
- A specialised logistics operator, who knows the uniqueness of an industry that does not admit errors in its supply chain and establishes very strict distribution deadlines.
- A partner with an international dimension will always provide a much more immediate response in the resolution of unforeseen events or in the search for alternatives that guarantee the logistics flow.
- A partner with a global vision of the industry, providing added value throughout the entire production chain with logistics services designed to improve efficiency and the capacity to integrate all processes.
- An actor that provides innovation is key for a sector that is always at the forefront of technological development, which is why the logistics alliance requires a partner that shares this strategic commitment.
Analysis of the logistics market for automotive components in Spain
Rhenus Logistics Spain has prepared the Automotive Components Logistics Guide, which analyses the main logistical patterns of an industry in which Spain holds the fourth position in Europe and is in the top 10 of the world ranking.
The main results of the report, based on data from the Spanish Tax Agency, show that road transport is the main ally of the Spanish automotive components industry's foreign trade, and France is the main trading partner, with the first position in imports and the second in exports.
The report confirms the recovery that the sector is experiencing after the sharp decline caused by the outbreak of the pandemic. It also shows the dynamics of exports, which increased by five percent in 2021 and by another 10 percent in the first half of 2022.
The analysis of the data provided by the Spanish Tax Agency shows that trucks transport 65 percent of exports and up to 70 percent of Spanish imports. Maritime transport is a long way behind, with 33 percent of exports and 28 percent of imports; while air and rail traffic account for around two percent of the services with origin or destination in Spain. For Rhenus, a logistics provider specialising in the transport and storage of automotive components, these results confirm the importance of road transport for this industry.
From Spain to France by truck and from France to Spain by ship
The combined study of foreign trade destinations and the means of transport reveals the disparity of traffic with origin or destination in France. Thus, up to 95 percent of automotive components exported to France are moved by road, while 63 percent of imports from France to Spain are moved by ship – trucks account for the remaining 37 percent.
Overtaking France as the leading destination for Spanish automotive exports, Germany takes the second place for imports with the focus of its transport activities mainly on the road. Morocco is the third-largest export destination for Spanish automotive components, which are transported almost entirely by ship.
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