Exports Threatened by Components Shortages?
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DiFFICULTY in obtaining stampings and other components for vehicles was one of several major problems which could cost us export orders through the inability to quote competitive delivery dates, said Mr. Donald Stokes, managing director of the Leyland Motor Corporation, on Tuesday. He was speaking in London after a 30,000-mile round-theworld trip, from which he returned with news of £1-5m.-worth of orders. Mr. Stokes said the component supply position was becoming very serious, and he suggested a national plan giving priority to big exporters. But he reported that the demand for British goods overseas was extremely high.
As well as more and better salesmen, he said, the country needed Governmentbacked facilities for export credit at reasonable interest rates.
In •ndia, Mr. Stokes had arranged for Ashok-Leyland to spend t13-25m, in two years on cloUbling production capacity, this company having also placed an order for heavy chassis worth £500,000. In Australia, where orders were high also, Leyland had formed a new public company to cope with the increasing demand for commercials.