IMI suspends Mexico operations

Ayala-led electronics manufacturing service provider Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc. (IMI) has suspended operations in Mexico in line with measures adopted by the government to curb the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Mexico—which contributes about 13 percent to the group’s total revenues globally—will shut down regular operations until April 30 this year, IMI disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Friday.

“The Mexican government has broadened its shutdown of ‘nonessential activities’ to the private sector to address the COVID-19 situation in the country. A skeleton workforce will still be deployed to support critical business activities during this period, the company said.

“The IMI management team is coordinating with government agencies to explore the possibility of expanding the scope of ‘essential activities’ to our local operations in the region,” IMI said, “IMI will continue to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its employees and will abide by the guidelines mandated by government.”

In the Philippines, IMI implemented a partial shutdown of operations starting March 17 until April 13 this year in line with the government’s imposition of a Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine and stringent social distancing measures.

“Given the Philippine government’s approval for export-oriented companies to remain operational, IMI is collaborating with units in the local and national levels to explore the ability to maintain the appropriate production levels within its factories,” IMI said in an earlier advisory dated March 19.

IMI has been deploying a skeleton workforce to support its critical business operations in Luzon.

In mainland China, the epicenter of the COVID-19 pande­mic, IMI suspended operations in four factories and put on hold business trips to and from high-risk regions earlier in the year. But as of its March 11 update, IMI said its manufacturing facilities in Pingshan, Kuichong, Jiaxing, Chengdu and Suzhou were already operating with substantial workforce capacity ranging from 85 percent to 98 percent.