Leading American automaker General Motors will suspend production at four of its auto assembly plants in North America for two weeks as the industry continues to suffer from a global shortage of semiconductor chips, a company spokeswoman said July 16.
Production at the Spring Hill assembly plant in Tennessee and the Lansing Delta Township assembly plant in Michigan will be halted from July 19 and will continue until the end of the month. In addition, the company is introducing two weeks of downtime at its San Luis Potosi assembly plant and the Ramos assembly plant in Mexico.
These most recent scheduling adjustments are due to temporary spare parts shortages caused by semiconductor supply restrictions to international markets facing COVID-19 restrictions, GM spokeswoman Kristen Ackerman said.
GM has also extended previously announced downtime at its CAMI assembly plant in Ontario, Canada, which makes the Chevy Equinox, Ackerman said. The factory hiatus, which was originally scheduled for July 19-26, will be extended until August 16.
During 2021, the global automotive industry faced a shortage of semiconductor chips.
US flat-rolled steel market players are keeping a close eye on the news of stops at automakers as hot dip galvanized sheet prices hit new record highs every week, and those stops will at least help businesses catch up and stabilize prices. Buyers, however, did not see an immediate improvement in the market situation, as spot availability of zinc plating in the US market remained very limited and mills continued to raise prices for such products.
