General Motors Resumes Production at Brazil Sao Caetano Plant

By Jeffrey T. Lewis

SAO PAULO--General Motors Co. said it resumed production at its plant in the Brazilian city of Sao Caetano do Sul on Monday while implementing safety measures to protect workers from the coronavirus.

The company had shut down production in March amid concerns about the safety of workers as the virus spread throughout the South American country. The company began production of protective masks at the plant in April and has also been repairing respirators at the complex in the city near Sao Paulo, and those activities will continue, GM said.

Production will begin with one shift, and the company has implemented several measures to protect workers, including taking their temperature at plant entrances, frequent cleaning of certain surfaces, distancing in the cafeteria, requiring the use of masks and monitoring any suspected cases of infection by the virus.

Brazil is South America's biggest car market and a major vehicle manufacturer, with companies including Ford Motor Co., BMW and others operating plants here. Vehicle production plummeted 99% in April from a year earlier, with the smallest output for Brazil since vehicle manufacturing began in the country in 1957, according to manufacturers' group Anfavea.

Write to Jeffrey T. Lewis at jeffrey.lewis@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 18, 2020 09:29 ET (13:29 GMT)

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