Ayala-led electronics manufacturer Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc. (IMI) has suspended operations in four factories in mainland China and put on hold business trips to and from high-risk regions amid the outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus (n-CoV). IMI—the world’s fifth largest electronic manufacturing service provider for the automotive industry—disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Thursday that it had delayed resumption of work in selected facilities in China after the Lunar New Year holiday break to conform with local government notices regarding n-CoV.
In accordance with the emergency response law and infectious disease prevention and control law of the People’s Republic of China, several provincial governments extended the holidays to ensure the implementation of measures and response requirements and strengthen safeguards against the new virus that is now spreading all over the world.
The IMI manufacturing sites affected by these advisories are located in the following: Pingshan Kuichong, Guangdong (IMI Technology Shenzhen Co. Ltd.); Jiaxing, Zhejiang (Speedy-Tech Electronics Jiaxing Co. Ltd.; Chengdu, Sichuan (IMI Chengdu Ltd.); and, Suzhou, Jiangsu (VIA Optronics Suzhou Co. Ltd.).IMI, which has 21 manufacturing plants in 10 countries, is now developing contingency plans to recover production backlog as a result of these suspensions including, among others, the temporary transfer of production activities for some customers to other IMI manufacturing plants.
“Management is communicating with local government offices regarding the possibility of resuming production earlier than the mandated dates at reduced production capacity,” it said.At the earliest, the Guangdong and Zhejiang facilities were estimated to resume on Feb. 10 and Jiangsu facility, on Feb. 9. The Chengdu facility is estimated to resume on Feb. 3, at the earliest.