Auto factories suspend production as Ambassador Bridge blockade continues

A protest blocking the busiest trade route between Michigan and Canada disrupts production at Detroit’s Big Three automakers.

Canadian truckers protesting COVID-19 vaccination mandates have been obstructing traffic on the Ambassador Bridge since Monday. The blockade redirected drivers to the Blue Water Bridge an hour north, where backups lasted four hours and lines stretched for miles earlier this week.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said late Wednesday that the lockdowns must end because they “endanger jobs, hinder trade and threaten the economy”.

As the days roll on, the protests are now hurting automakers whose production is already struggling with a fragile supply chain and a global shortage of semiconductors.

Related: Protest by Canadian truckers at Ambassador Bridge threatens fragile supply chain

Ford Motor Company said plants in Oakville and Windsor, Ont., are operating at reduced capacity Thursday.

“This Detroit/Windsor Bridge disruption is hurting customers, autoworkers, suppliers, communities and businesses on both sides of the border who have already experienced two-year parts shortages resulting from the global semi- drivers, COVID and more,” a statement from Ford said. “We hope this situation will be resolved quickly as it could have a widespread impact on all automakers in the United States and Canada.”

General Motors canceled Wednesday’s second shift and Thursday’s first shift at its Lansing Delta Township plant due to parts shortages. The company says it is working with its suppliers to “mitigate the situation.”

Stallantis, Chrysler’s parent company, said Wednesday that shifts had been cut short at “a number of US and Canadian plants” due to a shortage of parts caused by the bridge closure.

“The situation at the Ambassador Bridge, combined with an already fragile supply chain, will bring additional challenges to people and industries still struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic,” the multinational automaker said in a statement. .

Toyota Motor Corporation expects disruptions at its manufacturing sites in Canada and Kentucky for the rest of the week, but it does not anticipate layoffs as long as the situation “remains fluid.”

Related: Canadian truckers protesting vaccine rule scold traffic at Michigan border crossings

The Ambassador Bridge carries $323 million worth of goods every day and about a quarter of the trade between Michigan and Canada. It’s the key to the cross-border transportation of a total of $12.8 billion worth of motor vehicles and auto parts.

Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association President and CEO Brian Kingston said the protests are “hurting thousands of auto workers on both sides of the border” and “the time has come” to governments to restore cross-border trade.

On Thursday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer also called on Canadian authorities to address the issue, citing the impact on Michigan’s auto, agricultural and manufacturing industries.

“Countless Michiganders rely on this daily flow of goods and people to get things done,” the governor said in a statement. “It is imperative that local, provincial and national governments in Canada break this economic blockade.

The Windsor Police Service said it was taking a “diplomatic approach” to resolve the situation and on Wednesday requested further support from law enforcement.

The ongoing protests, which have plagued Ottawa for nearly two weeks now, have spread outside Canada’s capital to border crossings in recent days.

Since Thursday, the Ambassador Bridge has been open to traffic bound for the United States, but police say the “presence of protesters” is making it difficult for motorists to enter the border crossing.

Travelers are advised to use the Windsor Tunnel or the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, where St. Clair County Sheriff Mat King said Thursday morning’s backups “worse off.”

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