Foreign Car Association "Wants to Learn Korea's Know-How in Overcoming COVID-19"

Jeong Manki, Chairman of the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association / Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA) has stepped up cooperation with major national automobile associations in response to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

On the 28th, the Automobile Association announced that on the 10th, it sent letters to major national automobile associations in the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and others, expressing hope that despite the difficult social and economic circumstances caused by the infectious disease outbreak, the two countries would maintain close relations through mutual cooperation and wishing for a swift resolution of the damages.

Through the letter, the association particularly emphasized that the two countries, which have strengthened cooperation through free trade and expanded mutual investment, need to further enhance cooperation especially in difficult times.

In response, Matt Blunt, Chairman of the American Automotive Policy Council (AAPC), expressed gratitude for the special cooperative relationship not only between the two countries but also between their automobile associations. He also hoped to regularly strengthen information exchange on the trends in the automobile markets and the status of support policies related to COVID-19 between the two countries in the near future.

Hildegard M?ller, Chairwoman of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), mentioned that some automakers in Germany are preparing to resume factory operations soon. She paid tribute to Korea’s achievements in successfully responding to the global spread of COVID-19 and expressed hope to share know-how. She also mentioned plans to participate in the 2021 Seoul Motor Show scheduled for April 1?11, 2021, by creating a German pavilion as one of the practical cooperation measures between the two organizations.

Mike Hawes, CEO of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) in the United Kingdom, stated that Korea’s successful response, which minimized negative impacts despite the spread of COVID-19, is a very rare case in the global automobile industry, and expressed a desire to learn from Korea’s know-how. He forecasted that UK automobile factories would suspend operations for several more weeks due to a demand cliff, parts supply issues, and employee infections. He added that operations would gradually resume afterward and mentioned that although our lifestyles will inevitably change significantly after the COVID-19 crisis, the importance of the automobile industry in providing jobs will continue, and cooperation between the Korean and UK automobile industries will inevitably be further emphasized.

Thierry Cugnet, Chairman of the Comit? des Constructeurs Fran?ais d’Automobiles (CCFA), stated that France is currently implementing a nationwide lockdown (movement restrictions) for the fifth week in response to the spread of COVID-19, but some automakers plan to resume operations under very strict hygiene procedures within a few days. Regarding this, he expressed a desire to learn about the quarantine measures and factory management know-how of the Korean automobile industry, which continues factory operations despite the COVID-19 outbreak.

In this regard, Chung Manki, Chairman of KAMA, stated that the automobile industry will make every effort to maintain employment as much as possible while striving to turn this crisis into an opportunity for a new leap forward. He also emphasized that since there is a growing concern about factory shutdowns or sharp sales declines due to overseas factors, active government roles are needed at this time to help companies turn the crisis into an opportunity through support measures such as maintaining existing loan limits or expanding new loans totaling 33 trillion won, deferral of various taxes and public charges, and expansion of employment retention subsidies.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.