Ford, GM Suspend Production In Russia
30 Juni 2009 - 5:06PM
Dow Jones News
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AFP)--U.S. auto makers General Motors
Corp. (GM) and Ford Motor Co. (F) have decided to suspend
production in Russia for respective periods of two months and eight
days in the face of sliding demand, company officials said.
"GM has decided to suspend production from July 1 to August 30,"
company spokesman Sergei Lepnukhov told AFP. "The suspension is in
response to the decline in the automobile market."
A Ford spokeswoman, Eketerina Kulinenko, said Ford production
would be halted from July 1 to July 9.
Sales of passenger and light utility vehicles plummeted in
Russia by 58% in May compared with the same month last year and 47%
in the first five months of 2009, according to the Association of
European Business.
Prior to the current global economic downturn, Russia was seen
as the most promising auto market in Europe.