Global Business Today Eleventh Edition Chapter 9
9-25
Continuous Case Concept
A major point of contention in the KOREU Free Trade agreement that went into effect in 2011
between South Korea and the European Union was its impact on the auto industry, and especially
on South Korean automakers. Hyundai Motor India for example, was worried that competition
from its parent company could threaten sales in Europe. Europe is one of India’s largest export
markets for cars, and Hyundai Motor India relies on the market for over half of its sales.
• Ask students to consider the implications of trade agreements like the one between South
Korea and the European Union. How can companies avoid being shut out of large
markets like the European Union? Hyundai Motor India claimed that it would be virtually
impossible for it to compete in Europe if the free trade agreement were implemented.
• Next, consider the benefits for companies like Hyundai of operating in the European
Union or NAFTA/USMCA countries instead of individual markets. How does a single
market environment affect issues such as product pricing, or the location of
manufacturing? Should Hyundai Motor India consider shifting production to Europe?
• Finally, while most of the world’s major players in the auto industry already have a
presence in both North America and the European Union, consider what a common set of
external trade policies means to companies like Hyundai Motor India that want to enter
these markets. How does it affect the cost and choice of entry mode? What does it mean
in terms of risk?