March 17: The data is sparse of course at this point. One data point is the New York Manufacturing survey, where an overall index of activity fell by 34 points, the largest fall ever and similar to level seen during the Great Recession.
In Europe many factories are shutting down, either because of the virus or because of supply chain disruptions. France’s PSA (Peugeut, Opel, etc) is closing all European plants. Michelin is shutting factories in France, Italy, and Spain for a minimum of one week. Volkswagen is set to shut its main plant within days because of supply chain issues.
WSJ: Manufacturing continues to hum along. Companies are staggering shifts.
FT: UAW calls for two week halt in US production.
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