ANFIA, the Italian Association of the Automotive Industry, has intervened on the issue of production stoppages in the Italian automotive industry and launched a proposal not to undermine the possibility of a recovery following the current health crisis triggered by the spread of the coronavirus. "In the face of the health emergency that has been holding Italy in check for a few weeks now and with the worsening of the situation in recent days, the Italian automotive supply chain represented by ANFIA, after having put in place all the governmental provisions of prevention and containment of the spread of the epidemic, argues that there are no margins for closing the production plants, except by means of a joint decision by the EU countries, in particular Germany and France," said the association in a note. ANFIA recalled that the German and French markets are respectively the first and second destinations of exports of Italian automotive components (Germany with a 20% share and France with an 11% share, both in 2018). ANFIA's statement comes after the announcements by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and Ferrari to close their factories for two weeks.
"We care about the health of our employees," said ANFIA president Paolo Scudieri. "Companies today are places where the safety measures put in place by the government are rigorously applied, but we also work for a recovery that can give a future to our employees and, with them, to their families." The association believes that a shared approach would also be an advantage for Germany and France, as it would act "as an important preventive measure" in countries at risk of an escalation of contagion similar to that in Italy.