The German car industry fears a shortage of parts now that border controls between Germany and the Czech Republic have been tightened.
According to the German federation of automakers VDA, this could hinder the production process, the organization warned. Also, employees of German factories living in the Czech Republic cannot come to work due to border controls.
From Sunday, only Germany residents are allowed to cross the border with the Czech Republic and the Austrian region of Tyrol. This is because of the contagious corona variants that are widespread in those regions.
BMW and Volkswagen have factories in the border region that depend mainly on parts and materials from the Czech Republic.
A disruption in the supply causes production lines to stop. “We are closely monitoring the situation and hope that the parts can cross the border smoothly,” said a spokesman for the VDA. According to him, border controls can hinder the free flow of traffic at the border.
There are exceptions to controls, including for health care, logistics and seasonal agricultural workers. There is also talk of exceptions for companies that depend on employees from Tyrol or the Czech Republic.