Stellantis has halted operations in Russia as the car and truck manufacturer suspended remaining production at a plant south of Moscow because of problems obtaining parts.
The company, the latest to stop operations in Russia, said “the rapid daily increase in cross sanctions and logistical difficulties” prompted the move.
The group, formed last year through the merger of Peugeot owner PSA and Fiat Chrysler, had already suspended some of its business with Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
This included imports and exports of vans and people carriers built at the Russian Kaluga plant for brands such as Fiat and Opel. Some of that production shifted to factories in Britain and France.
For Stellantis, hitting pause on the Kaluga operations, where it produced some 11,000 vans last year, only affects a small part of its overall operations. The group has about 2,700 employees in Russia.
But its latest step, affecting the remaining rump of its business for the Russian market, shows the increasing difficulties in maintaining operations in the country, even locally, as shipments of components are disrupted and western suppliers back away. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2022
