Michelin’s Spanish unit said on Tuesday that four of its factories in Spain will suspend production again on January 20 and 21 due to delays in the delivery of raw materials caused by the crisis in the Red Sea.
The United States and Britain launched a series of strikes on Yemen last week targeting the Houthi rebels, whose attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea since December have disrupted one of the world’s most important trade routes.
Dozens of shipping companies have opted to divert their ships to the old route around the southern tip of Africa, which has added about 10 days to the journey time to Europe.
The company told Reuters it had halted work at its factories in Spain on Saturday and Sunday last week due to delays in the arrival of the raw materials it needs to produce rubber, which arrive by sea from Asia.
Spanish newspaper Expansion reported earlier on Tuesday that Michelin would suspend work on the weekend for the second time. The company later confirmed to Reuters that the stoppage would take place on January 20 and 21.
Michelin followed in the footsteps of other manufacturing companies, including Tesla and Volvo, owned by Geely, which announced last week that they would suspend some production operations in Europe due to a shortage of components.
Michelin’s factories in Spain are the company’s second-largest rubber factories, but the unit said it has a stockpile of rubber that is sufficient to deal with the current situation and does not plan to take any further action in Spain.
The Spanish Retail and Food Industry Association said the Red Sea crisis has a “significant impact” on major companies involved in the manufacturing and distribution of food, textiles, and technology products.
