Volkswagen Mexico is restarting operations at its Puebla plant on June 16 after the pandemic forced it shut for more than two months.
The automaker will operate at lower capacity in the beginning while it trains staff and establishes necessary procedures, it said in a statement.
Puebla Governor Miguel Barbosa said on June 12 that there are no preconditions for adhering to certain sanitary practices in the auto and construction sectors, which both reopen this week.
Mexico’s automotive, mining and construction industries had permission to restart production before June 1, provided they complied with health and safety protocols. Some automakers have already restarted operations in the country after suspending operations for about two months because of COVID-19.
Output and sales
Mexico’s car production plunged by 93.6pc to 22,119 units last month from 350,060 vehicles produced in May 2019, according to figures released on June 5 by the National Statistics Agency.
Volkswagen’s auto production in Mexico decreased by 100pc to zero units in May compared to the same month last year when its output reached 41,786 vehicles produced, the company said.
According to Mexico’s automotive association, car sales in the country dropped by 59pc to 42,028 units last month from 102,402 units in May 2019 on lower demand as a consequence of the pandemic
Volkswagen Mexico’s car sales declined by 71.8pc to 4,171 cars in May from 14,794 units a year ago, said the company.