- Chinese auto production for passenger cars fell 37.7% in the first quarter of 2020, compared to the first quarter of 2019 which had already decreased by 13.3% compared to the first quarter of 2018. However, April returned to April 2019 level, thanks to local demand which restarted at the same time. Car sales in China rebounded in April, with sales volume roughly matching that of April 2019.

- The coronavirus crisis indeed affected China sooner than Europe or the United States, so it was in February that sales and production bottomed out in China, while Europe or the United States States hit rock bottom two months later.

- As a result, Chinese factories restarted in March and this restart intensified in April and the coming months should be at the same level as the same months of 2019.

- All in all, 2020 should end with a 10% drop in sales and auto production in China. It will still be the third drop in three years. Between 2018 and 2020, car sales and production in China will have lost 20% of their volume, while this country, still under-motorized, was promised a decade ago to an uninterrupted growth in car sales and production.

- Note that replenishment of stocks is currently not necessary in China because the production volume was very close to the sales volume between January and April 2020.

- Japanese automobile production for passenger cars fell 24.2% in the first quarter of 2020, compared to the first quarter of 2019, which had been stable compared to the first quarter of 2018.

- April 2020 was very poor (-49.7%), much worse than March (-18%), February (-18.5%) or January (-11.3%). The coronavirus crisis did indeed start later in Japan than in China, and even in Europe or the United States, and the impact on sales and production was therefore felt mainly from April.

- The restart of the various Japanese factories should take place in May, which will allow the revival of production in the country, especially since demand on foreign markets is also expected to accelerate, which should boost exports.

- According to our information, there is no problem of overstocking in Japan today as in Europe or problems of restocking of stocks, therefore the rhythm of Japanese production should acquire a normal rhythm in the next months for s '' accelerate the following months.

- Taking into account the expected development of the Japanese market until the end of 2020 and that of the various export markets, the volume of production should drop by between 10% and 15% over the whole of this year.

- The Japanese automobile market for passenger cars fell 14.1% in the first quarter of 2020, compared to the first quarter of 2019, due to the coronavirus crisis. The Japanese automotive market had already suffered a 1% drop in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the first quarter of 2018.

- The drop recorded in the first quarter of 2020 is much less than that recorded by automobile production in Japan during the same period. In fact, production suffered from sharply falling exports (due to the collapse of world markets), while for the market, imports represent such a small part (5.5%) that it does not impact not the market as a whole.

- For the past thirty years, the share of imports into Japan has fluctuated between 5.5% and 6.5% and therefore today we are at the lowest point. Japan is one of the countries with the lowest percentage of imports.

- However, the decline in the Japanese market reached -30% in April, against -9% in March, -10% in February and -12% in January. The situation has therefore worsened since March and it is difficult today to know whether the Japanese market will plunge in May or stabilize. It should be remembered that Japan was affected later than China, and a little later than Europe or the United States.

- In both cases, the decline in the Japanese market should be around 10% to 15% over the whole year, if the coronavirus crisis does not drag on.

- The Renault group was experiencing difficulties long before the coronavirus crisis, since its global sales had decreased in 2019, and the Renault-Nissan Alliance had lost its first place to fall to third.

- The Covid-19 crisis amplified the phenomenon and the Renault group recently announced the cessation of unprofitable models (Scénic, Talisman, Espace, Koléos) and the implementation of a new strategy on electric motorization which would focus more on the Zoe alone, but which would be multiplied towards all the other segments, thus taking inspiration from the strategy of the Volkswagen group which announced the successive launch of the ID3, ID4, then the ID2, ID1 and ID5…

- The Renault group has thus announced the next launch of a 100% electric sedan in segment C and three 100% electric SUV in different segments (B, C, D).

- It is in this context that the manufacturer announced the closure of the assembly plants of Dieppe and Flins, because the arrival of 100% electric cars will not compensate for the removal of the four models mentioned above, given that sales of electric cars are still weak (less than 10% of the market).

- The Dieppe factory assembled the Alpine (in small series), while the Flins factory assembled the Zoé and Micra (the Clio having been transferred to Slovenia), models whose sales remain below target. The Micra could be transferred to Sunderland and the Zoé to the Douai plant, which will lose three models but recover three others.