An Ontario court granted an injunction Feb. 11 to end the blockade, but the risk of future disruptive protests could soon factor into auto companies’ risk management plans, experts said.
Already, trucking protests in Canada, including the Ambassador Bridge blockade and a convoy of trucks that have paralyzed parts of downtown Ottawa for weeks, have inspired a similar group of protesters in France.
Reuters reported last week that France mobilized thousands of police in and around Paris and set up checkpoints at toll stations on Friday to keep out convoys of motorists converging on the capital for a protest against government COVID-19 curbs.
“We don’t anticipate this will just keep happening, but you never know,” CAR’s Bailo said. “That’s what makes risk management so important and also so difficult.”
She said the events of the past two years, from the blockade and pandemic-related border restrictions to increased trade uncertainty and the semiconductor shortage, are forcing automakers to reexamine the resiliency of their supply chains. Companies will want to have more control and visibility into them by finding multiple sources for parts, she said
“With the shift to electrification, it’s really the perfect timing to start looking at that because you’ve got new suppliers entering the market,” she said.
Lindsay Chappell, Hannah Lutz and Michael Martinez and Greg Layson of Automotive News Canada contributed to this report.
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