North American Auto Assemblies Fall in September

North American auto assemblies fell in September, reaching the second lowest monthly total year-to-date. The impact of the chip shortage and supply-chain disruptions pulled automotive production down nearly 13% month on month. Semiconductor scarcity and parts delays further worsened, reducing vehicle inventories and causing regional sales to tumble during the month, according to LMC Automotive (LMCA).

Total North American vehicle production, including personal and commercial vehicles, was 983,975 units in September, 12.9% lower than August’s total. September’s total was 27.8% behind year-ago levels, and nearly 31% below the most recent peak of 1.424 million units last November. The latest results reflect the extensive impact the global semiconductor shortage and other pandemic-related parts scarcities have had on the automotive industry.

David Schollaert

David Schollaert is a senior analyst for Steel Market Update. David joined SMU after more than a decade in the metals and mining industry in a myriad of different roles. Much of his early experience and expertise were within the coverage and analysis of steel-making raw materials and served previously as senior editor of the CRU Prices Service. Most recently, however, before his return to market analysis, David held roles as a metals buyer and an operations manager for raw material suppliers. Based in CRU’s Pittsburgh office, David can be reached at david@steelmarketupdate.com or 724-720-1008.

David Schollaert

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