Element, Samsung, TCL Scaled Up Q4 TV Production to Meet Demand, Says S&P

TCL increased Q4 TV seaborne imports to the U.S. by 106% from a year earlier, while Element’s imports increased 252%, reported S&P Global Wednesday. Imports “linked” to Samsung rose by 55%, “indicating all three companies managed to scale up production in response to pandemic-related demand,” it said. “There was already an apparent surge in shipments of televisions in 2020 due to pandemic-related stay-at-home and entertainment substitute spending.” Element has made a big play of promoting LCD TV assembly in South Carolina for supplying to Walmart but also sources panels and finished sets from China. TCL and Element didn’t comment.