Suppliers demand cost sharing from manufacturers

Dusseldorf, Stuttgart In the automotive industry, the distribution battle between suppliers and manufacturers has once again intensified. The suppliers tried to pass on part of their drastically increased costs to the car companies, but met with resistance, the Handelsblatt learned from many in the industry.

Higher energy prices, additional expenses for logistics and inflation are putting increasing pressure on automotive suppliers. Continental had to cash in on its profit target. The costs are also piling up at Bosch, ZF and Mahle. The situation is even more critical for medium-sized suppliers. According to the purchasing strategy consultancy HZ Group, these alone could result in additional costs of up to 228 billion euros.

The first suppliers have recently intensified their efforts to defend themselves through negotiations, including Bosch, Conti and Mahle. According to CFO Katja Dürrfeld, Conti is in “partnership talks” with the car manufacturers.