Chrysler Pacificas at the Stellantis facility in Windsor, Ont., on April 4. The company has said it's shutting down the plant for a week starting next Monday.Dax Melmer/The Canadian Press
Stellantis NV’s STLA-N auto assembly plant in Windsor, Ont., will close for a week beginning on May 5, putting 3,800 workers on temporary layoff, according to union and company officials.
The plant, which makes the Chrysler Pacifica and electric Dodge Charger, was shut down for two weeks in April, a move the company said it made to assess the impact of the U.S. tariffs on imported vehicles. The plant resumed operations on April 21.
Since April 3, cars imported to the United States face a 25-per-cent tariff based on their non-U.S. content.
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James Stewart, president of Unifor Local 444, which represents workers at the plant, said Stellantis did not provide reasons for next week’s shutdown.
“We are meeting with them next week to determine what the future production schedule may look like,” Mr. Stewart said.
LouAnn Gosselin, a spokesperson for Stellantis, said the carmaker is ceasing production for a week as it prepares for 2026 models.
“As a result, the plant will observe a down week the week of May 5. We will continue to monitor the situation,” Ms. Gosselin said.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said his tariffs are aimed at shutting down the Canadian auto industry and using “economic force” to annex the country.
Doug Ostermann, chief financial officer of Stellantis, said on a conference call on Wednesday the carmaker is considering moving production and parts supply chains to the U.S. to avoid paying the tariffs. He did not provide details.
“It’s something that we’re working very hard on,” he said, “to think through how quickly can we make those changes to mitigate any tariff impacts?”