Samsung SDI contemplate the establishment of a major battery plant in Illinois
According to its Senator Dick Durbin, Samsung SDI, an affiliate of Samsung Electronics Co. responsible for producing rechargeable batteries is considering building a battery plant in Normal, Illinois in the United States.
This expansion would add to their list of plants in South Korea, China and Hungary, where they supply customers such as BMW and Volvo. The company hopes to produce vehicle batteries for Rivian, an electric vehicle startup who already have a facility in the town. A minimum of 1 trillion won ($85.6 million) is expected to be invested by Samsung SDI in this collaboration.
The South Korean battery manufacturer has also been linked with Stellantis, another electric vehicle manufacturer. If the plans go ahead, an investment of at least 3 trillion won ($2.62 billion) to produce batteries for Stellantis is on the cards. As well as creating links with carmakers, the new plant is set to create thousands of jobs for local people.
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New waves of Covid-19 ripple across global supply chains
Resurgences of the virus are straining factories and ports across the world like never before. Shipping problems originating in Asia have been shown to ripple slowly across the world, with delays and higher prices both proving to be costly for consumers. Exporters are facing extortionate shipping costs as well as having to deal with a lack of resources.
Factories in Southeast Asia are struggling to keep their heads above water in terms of production, and some manufacturers are being forced to stop producing goods altogether. The lack of production of electronics and garments will take a toll on future trade, which will further increase the pressure on exporters to prepare for the Christmas period.
In an attempt to tackle the rising cases, some countries such as Vietnam have adopted strict measures, involving workers sleeping overnight in the factories to reduce the transmission of the virus. Although this may be a short-term solution, the effects on the global supply chain are expected to be long-term, with economists downgrading their global growth forecasts to match this.
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Brexit is the driving force behind major problems in the British food industry supply chain
Restaurant chains Nando’s and KFC in the United Kingdom have been forced to adapt their services amid disruptions in the supply chain, with Nando’s having to shut 45 sites temporarily and KFC experiencing problems with the availability of products and packaging.
Richard Griffiths, the chief executive of the British Poultry Council in the United Kingdom blames the government for the widespread problems, claiming they are acting “against the best interests of British food producers”. He criticizes Brexit, saying that the number of non- UK workers is now limited, leading to a labor shortage. Mr. Griffiths calls for poultry meat supply chain workers to be added to both the skilled worker list and shortage occupation list to reduce the scarcity of workers.
In a response to this, a government spokesperson said that they are working closely with the sector “to ensure businesses have the labor they need”. The UK government also say that they are “looking at ways to recruit more domestic labor”, which will reduce the need for workers coming into the UK.
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