Company: APTV
Filing Date: 2025-02-07
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001521332-25-000010
Chunk: 11

Company: Aptiv PLC
Filing Date: 2025-02-07
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1
Chunk 11
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 and other costs. The most significant raw materials we use to manufacture our products include copper and resins. As of December 31, 2024, we have not experienced any significant shortages of raw materials, however, as a result of our customers’ recent production volatility and cancellations, our balance of productive, raw and component material inventories has increased substantially from customary levels. These changes to the production environment were primarily driven by the global supply chain disruptions that impacted the automotive industry at times during previous years. We continue to actively monitor and manage inventory levels across all inventory types in order to maximize both supply continuity and the efficient use of working capital. Normally we do not carry inventories of such raw materials in excess of those reasonably required to meet our production and shipping schedules. 

Commodity cost volatility, most notably related to copper, petroleum-based resin products and fuel, is a challenge for us and our industry. Recently, the industry has been subjected to increased pricing pressures, specifically in relation to these commodities, which have experienced significant volatility in price. We have also been impacted globally by increased overall inflation as a result of a variety of global trends. We are continually seeking to manage these and other material-related cost pressures using a combination of strategies, including working with our suppliers to mitigate costs, seeking alternative product designs and material specifications, combining our purchase requirements with our customers and/or suppliers, changing suppliers, hedging of certain commodities and other means. In the case of copper, which primarily affects our Signal and Power Solutions segment, contract clauses have enabled us to pass on some of the price increases to our customers and thereby partially offset the impact of increased commodity costs on operating income for the related products. Other than in the case of copper, our overall success in passing commodity cost increases on to our customers has been limited. However, we have negotiated, and will continue to negotiate as necessary, price increases with our customers in response to global inflationary pressures and the aforementioned global supply chain disruptions. We will continue our efforts to pass market-driven commodity cost increases to our customers in an effort to mitigate all or some of the adverse earnings impacts, including by seeking to renegotiate terms as contracts with our customers expire.

Seasonality

In general, our business is moderately seasonal, as our primary North American customers historically reduce production during the month of July and halt operations for approximately one week in December. Our European customers generally reduce production during the months of July and August and for one week in December. Our Chinese customers generally halt operations for one week during the months of February and October