The Windsor border blockade, severe weather and other "COVID-related challenges" have created supply chain delays that are impacting all three production lines at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, including the north and south plants in Cambridge.
A spokesperson for the company confirmed parts supply disruptions related to the border blockade in Windsor as one of the factors affecting production lines at the Cambridge and Woodstock plants, but said employment isn't expected to be impacted at this time.
Protesters in solidarity with truckers calling for an end to federal vaccine mandates and other provincial COVID restrictions in Ottawa and Toronto have cut off Canada-bound traffic on the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor since Monday.
"Our teams are closely monitoring the situation and working diligently to minimize any impact on production," said Toyota's manager of corporate communications Michael Bouliane in an email response to CambridgeToday.
"We expect disruption through this weekend, so we continue to adjust our production plans."
As reported by Canadian Press on Wednesday, the Ambassador Bridge is the busiest crossing in North America and typically handles about 7,000 commercial vehicles a day, carrying more than a quarter of the roughly $775 billion in annual goods trade between Canada and the United States, according to U.S. Department of Transportation and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.