China’s biggest maker of the laser sensors used in self-driving cars plans to open its first overseas plant next year as customers urge it to shield itself from geopolitical tensions.
Shanghai-based Hesai, already embroiled in fighting a blacklisting by the Pentagon, is looking to build production lines abroad in addition to its China factories to “avoid risks related to geopolitics and tariffs”, chief financial officer Andrew Fan told the Financial Times in an interview.
“Our clients who are hoping to diffuse the risks have found it a wise approach,” Fan said, adding that a diversified supply chain could also hedge potential logistics disruptions.