Part 11/13:
This developing landscape hints at a significant shift—a potential precedent where other automakers like Nissan and Mazda might seek similar arrangements to import Chinese-assembled vehicles under Japanese badges, exploiting the existing regulatory loopholes. Such moves could significantly reshape competitive dynamics, threaten local manufacturing jobs, and influence trade policy.
Moreover, the move could exacerbate existing tensions around trade fairness, subsidies, and the geopolitics of technology and manufacturing. European regulators are now tasked with balancing protection of domestic industry against the economic realities of a globalized supply chain.