On February 10, local time, the U.S.-Canada transit bridge continued to be closed by protest convoys, forcing auto plants on both sides of the United States and Canada to reduce or stop production. Against the Canadian government's CORONAVIRUS restriction order, the Canadian truck fleet protests have been going on for four days at ambassador bridges connecting Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, greatly disrupting automakers including Ford, General Motors and Honda.
The Ambassador Bridge is Canada's busiest cross-border corridor with the United States, accounting for about 25 percent of the trade between the two countries, most of which is produced by automobiles. Ford said its engine plant in Windsor, Ontario, was forced to close wednesday for a lack of spare parts, and its assembly plant in Oakville, Ontario, near Toronto, is also reducing capacity.
GM canceled production at its SUV plant outside Lansing, Michigan, on Wednesday and the first thursday. Toyota's three plants in Canada will not resume production within this week due to a shortage of parts. Honda's assembly plant in Alliston, Ontario, north of Toronto, had to suspend the operation of an assembly line on Wednesday, but resumed operations on Thursday.
The White House claimed the protest blockade posed a risk to the automotive supply chain in both countries. The bridge is a key gateway for the supply of auto parts, and prolonged lockdowns can disrupt normal production processes. "In addition to this, we are also tracking whether there may be any disruption to U.S. agricultural exports from Michigan to Canada." White House press secretary Jane Psaki said.
The protest blockade also paralyzed many Canadian cities for nearly two weeks. The piercing sound of horns and exhaust emissions day and night seriously interfere with the normal life of the surrounding residents. The mayor of Windsor, Ontario, said he was looking for ways to contain the protests through a court ban: "For those who are considering participating in the protests, I just want to say — you're not welcome here." We will submit our application to the Judge of the High Court as soon as possible, and we hope to learn about it today. ”
The White House said it was taking action to contact the Canadian border and try to reduce the load on the bridge, and "customs and border protection teams have worked with Canada to divert traffic from ambassador bridge to bluewater bridge." While there will still be delays, the road allows some trucks and transports to pass through. They also opened nine commercial lanes, including one at the port, to evacuate and divert heavy traffic. ”