Japanese and American technicians cannot reach China! Delayed expansion of LCD panel, semiconductor and other factories

At present, China's epidemic prevention and control situation has continued to improve, and it has been some time before Wuhan's unblocking. However, Japanese media recently pointed out that the continuous spread of the global epidemic has prevented engineers from Japan, the United States and other countries from reaching China, causing news of delayed production expansion in high-tech factories such as LCD panels and semiconductors in China.

Nikkei reported on the 19th that although China has lifted the blockade and restarted production in the manufacturing industry, some electronic component manufacturers still cannot obtain an important resource for expansion: international talent.

The report pointed out that engineers from Japan, the United States and other countries played a key role in the commissioning of factory equipment. However, because many countries restrict citizen activities and going abroad, these engineers cannot reach China, resulting in high-level LCD panels and semiconductors in China The expansion of the technology plant was postponed.

Among them, the expansion of BOE ’s LCD panel plant in Wuhan has stalled because the company ’s Japanese technical consultant returned to China due to the new crown virus.

It is reported that the factory is expected to have a monthly production capacity of about 90,000 pieces by the end of 2020, but due to the restrictions on entry and exit of foreign citizens by the two governments, it is not clear when these Japanese technicians will return to China.

In this regard, Yoshihide Tamura, head of Asian market research company Display Supply Chain Consultants, said that if this situation continues, the plant ’s annual production capacity may be only two-thirds of the original plan.

At the same time, other manufacturers are facing the same problem. Samsung ’s second memory plant in Xi’an was opened in March. Japanese technicians should have installed new equipment, but for the same reason, the plant ’s equipment installation progress was delayed. In addition, the Dutch lithography giant ASML has also delayed shipments due to technical staff movement restrictions and logistics stagnation.

It is worth mentioning that the report also pointed out that although the Ziguang Group's semiconductor factory in Wuhan continues to produce, the pace of expansion may be delayed.

And these production delays will eventually hit consumer electronics production. Specifically, China plays a key role in the supply chain of devices such as Apple iPhones and Nikon cameras. The above-mentioned production delays are critical to the assembly of consumer electronics in China and other regions. It is understood that some models of Panasonic's Let's Note laptop series are out of stock due to difficulties in purchasing parts made in China; Nikon's high-end sports photography D6 camera, which will be launched in March, has also been postponed until next month.