Automaker, supplier China Inc. struggling with surge in COVID cases
Shanghai — like a giant wave in China COVID-19 infection start marching in a country roughly the size of Europe, the ripple effect on business will accelerate. From its initial epicenter in the north, including the capital Beijing, COVID-19 infections have spread across the country, with cases hampering workforces in the manufacturing belt, including the Yangtze River Delta near Shanghai. According to international business organizations operating in China, the retail and financial services industries have been hit hard by the shortage of workers, with automakers and other manufacturers not far behind. “The retail and customer-facing sectors face serious challenges. Clearly, many of the larger retailers are keeping their doors open as they have limited staff available to work due to illness.” said Noah Fraser of the Canadian China Business Council. Official data can no longer reliably capture the number of new cases as mass testing was halted after China abruptly withdrew its zer