Volkswagen's opens new tab planned cost-cutting programme was unavoidable in order to remedy "decades of structural problems" at the German carmaker, CEO told
Volkswagen's opens new tab planned cost-cutting programme was unavoidable in order to remedy "decades of structural problems" at the German carmaker, CEO Oliver Blume said in an interview published on Sunday.
"The weak market demand in Europe and significantly lower earnings from China reveal decades of structural problems at VW," Blume told Sunday paper Bild am Sonntag.
The head of Volkswagen's works council said last Monday that the carmaker plans to shut at least three factories in Germany, lay off tens of thousands of staff and shrink its remaining plants in Europe's biggest economy as it plots a deeper-than-expected overhaul.
The carmaker has not confirmed those plans but on Wednesday it asked its workers to take a 10% pay cut, arguing it was the only way that Europe's biggest carmaker could save jobs and remain competitive.
Blume said the cost of operating in Germany was a major drag on Volkswagen's competitiveness, telling Bild am Sonntag that "our costs in Germany must be massively reduced."
There was no flexibility on the goals for cost-cutting, only on how they are to be achieved, he said.
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China has carried out a major test of a new “super wireless” rail convoy, a technology that could reshape the future of heavy-haul transport.
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Diplomatic tensions between Tokyo and Beijing escalated as Japan slams China's export ban on dual-use goods. Markets have wobbled as fears grow over a potential rare earth embargo affecting global supply chains.
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The U.S. dollar's share of global reserves fell to nearly 40% at the end of 2025, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which says it's 10% lower than at the start of 2024. However, gold has risen and overtaken the dollar to be above 50% in global reserves according to the IMF data.
The U.S. dollar has strengthened against major peers on Tuesday, while the euro fell following slower-than-expected inflation in Europe. Market movements were relatively subdued as investors focused on upcoming U.S. economic data.
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India’s largest oil refiner, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), has taken a significant step towards diversifying its crude oil supply by purchasing Colombian crude, from state oil company Ecopetrol, for the first time.
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