For the brake component manufacturer Nuadi, the hyperbole surrounding international trade since the beginning of the year has not been simply speculative assumptions like those of the cable-news pundits. The Arazuri, Spain-based multi-national manufacturer best known for its backing plates has already experienced price increases, as well as business uncertainty, resulting from both tariff threat and tariff reality.
Jose Ciordia, Nuadi’s chief-executive-officer, in a recent series of interviews with The BRAKE Report Magazine, talked about the unintended consequences of controlling a market through artificial means — like a 25-percent tariff on non-United States steel and aluminum — which might not produce the desired effect.
“We buy steel for our main product line, which is the backing plate,” he said. “It’s the highest portion of the total cost by far; it’s more than 50 to 60 percent of the total revenue of the of the finished part.
“He (President Donald Trump) announced tariffs of 25 percent for steel and aluminum, and he’s put them in place. So, guess what? In the following week, the price of steel produced in North America rose 25 percent; well, literally 24.5 percent.”
The U.S. tariffs on Mexican goods will have an impact on Nuadi which in 2023 opened a 80,000-square-foot facility in that country to serve customers in North America. This marks the company’s presence on four continents with outposts in China and Morocco along with the European headquarters/operations in Spain. The workforce counts approximately 530 worldwide, with some 270 in Europe, 180 in Morocco, 60 in China and 20 in Mexico. And last year revenue hit €80 million.
What began as a tool and die maker in 1958, Nuadi evolved into a stamping firm which became a brake component specialist. Known for its backing plates and shims, Nuadi has been slowly expanding its portfolio. In 2021 it added Barcelona-based Sadeca, a manufacturer of brake wear sensors, brake pad accessories and other electronic automotive components which it is also expanding.
“Sadeca has started diversifying into other areas of the automotive industry [beyond brake accessories],” Ciordia explained. “We are now developing electrical wiring connections for batteries, for mirrors, or sensors that detect whether a door is open or closed. Typical things that show up in your dashboard, which require an electrical connection, which means wires with connectors. Our expansion into that area started with Tier 1 suppliers like Magna and is a key focus of our ongoing development efforts in Mexico.
The full article can be found in the Q2 2025 issue of The BRAKE Report Magazine.
Subscribe Today!
Sign up for our weekly eNewsletter and get a free copy of our quarterly digital magazine.
