GM, Ford To Temporarily Close Some Factories As Chip Shortage Worsens

Industry analysts say COVID outbreaks have hit employees at chip factories in Asia particularly hard, forcing some plants to close.

The global shortage of computer chips is getting worse, forcing automakers to temporarily close factories including those that build popular pickup trucks. General Motors announced Thursday that it would pause production at eight North American plants during the next two weeks, including two that make the company's top-selling Chevrolet Silverado pickup. Ford will stop making pickups at its Kansas City Assembly Plant for the next two weeks. Shifts will be cut at two more truck plants in Dearborn, Michigan, and Louisville, Kentucky.