GM to again halt production due to semiconductor chip shortage

Sept. 2 (UPI) -- General Motors will again halt production at many of its North American assembly plants due to the shortage in semiconductor chips.

The two-week production halt will begin -- or for some plants be extended -- on Monday, the Detroit Free Press reported.

Eight plants in the United States, Canada and Mexico are affected.

These plants will remain in operation: The Arlington, Texas, plant, which makes SUVs; the Flint, Mich., plant, which makes heavy-duty pickup trucks; the Bowling Green, Ky., plant, which makes the Corvette; and part of Lansing Grand River plant in Michigan, which makes the Chevrolet Camaro and Cadillac Blackwing.

"All the announcements we made today are related to the chips shortage, the only plant down that's not related to that, is Orion Assembly," GM spokesman Dan Flores told the Free Press, Orion was shut down over recall issues with the Chevy Bolt.

GM suspended production temporarily in April at some assembly plants in North America, and temporarily halted production in late July and early August of its full-size pickup trucks in Indiana and Mexico due to the global shortage of chips.

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased demand for the chips, which are also used in personal electronics, such as laptops, as more people stayed home instead of going in to school or work.The global shortage of semiconductor chips has also forced other automakers, such as Ford, Volkswagen, Jaguar Land Rover, and Toyota, to reduce production in recent months.