By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -General Motors Co said Friday it will idle for two weeks in April an assembly plant in Indiana that builds pickup trucks, over ongoing semiconductor chip shortages.
The Detroit automaker said it will halt production at its Fort Wayne assembly plant, which builds the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, for two weeks starting April 4.
“There is still uncertainty and unpredictability in the semiconductor supply base, and we are actively working with our suppliers to mitigate potential issues moving forward,” GM said Friday.
The automaker said this is its first semiconductor-related full-size truck production downtime since August.
GM noted that overall it has “seen better consistency in semiconductor supply through the first quarter compared to last year as a whole. This has translated into improvement in our production and deliveries during the first three months of the year.”
GM Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra met with some lawmakers on Capitol Hill this week, including Republican Senator Todd Young of Indiana.
GM is backing a bill in Congress to provide $52 billion in government subsidies to boost U.S. semiconductor manufacturing. GM said that legislation could help “alleviate the ongoing shortage that continues to impact U.S. automotive manufacturing.”
(Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
