Jaguar Land Rover may be forced to close its factories in Britain due to a shortage of car parts from China, The Guardian reports.
According to Jaguar Land Rover chief executive Ralf Speth, the British manufacturer may run out of car parts at its British factories due to the coronavirus as early as the end of next week.
“We are safe for this week and we are safe for next week and in the third week we have … parts missing,” Speth said, adding “We have flown parts in suitcases from China to the UK.”
Jaguar Land Rover operates three factories in the United Kingdom that produce almost 400,000 vehicles annually.
“We are safe for the month of February and for a good part of March,” added the boss of Tata Motors Guenter Butschek. “Are we fully covered at this point of time for the full month of March? Unfortunately… not.”
Related: JLR To Reduce Production At Two UK Plants Over Falling Demand
In a statement, Speth added that the car manufacturer has “completely stopped” its sales of vehicles in China.
“The coronavirus may impact us in the medium term, we are working with our suppliers to minimize any potential impact,” the British carmaker added.
Jaguar Land Rover is just one of many auto manufacturers feeling the pinch of the coronavirus. Last week, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles revealed it would shut a plant in Serbia due to missing parts from China. Labor union officials in the United States have also expressed concerns that companies like General Motors may have to halt production due to parts shortages.
