Spring Hill GM partially halts production amid chip shortage

The Spring Hill General Motors plant began a temporary period of reduced production this week after the auto manufacturer was forced to idle four of its manufacturing facilities due to an ongoing shortage of semiconductor chips, according to an internal memo obtained by the Detroit Free Press.

The worldwide chip shortage has plagued manufacturers across multiple industries since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. Major causes of the shortage include an increased demand of computers during the pandemic, with the last quarter of 2020 showing a more than 26 percent increase in computer shipments year over year. Another cause has been a severe drought experienced in Taiwan, a major chip manufacturing hub.