How much could Ambassador Bridge closure cost automakers?

DETROIT (FOX 2) - A weeklong closure of the Ambassador Bridge impacted multiple businesses, especially the auto industry.

While the international bridge was closed due to a protest of COVID-19 mandates, shipments couldn't get between Canada and the United States, stifling trade.

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The bridge reopened Monday, but the financial toll on the auto industry is estimated to be steep. The automakers won't say how the closure impacted them, but Anderson Economic Group estimates about a $300 million loss, including about $145 million lost in direct wages, as well as a $155 million loss incurred by automakers.

"These are actual losses that we’ve estimated. The methodology we’ve used here at Anderson Economic Group is consistent with what we’ve done with strikes and work stoppages in the past," said Patrick Anderson, the principal and CEO of the economic group.

Anderson said the losses are worse since this happened during a pandemic and a semiconductor chip shortage.

"If this would have happened in 2018, the losses would have been far less, maybe a quarter of what we’re seeing now," he said.

Dr. Michael Greiner, an assistant professor of management at Oakland University, said the losses aren't surprising.

"It’s very conservative. It really understates a lot of things that were impacted by this protest. For example, the cost to municipalities. There’s also what’s called the multiplier effect," he said. "The losses that they’ve dealt with might well be losses that are permanent."

The multiplier effect covers losses to the restaurants, bars, and stores auto employees visit. 

Stellantis said in a statement that it didn't want to talk about projected losses. However, the automaker said it feels confident it can make up those losses in a few months.

"I think they are trying to be as optimistic about a bad situation right now," Greiner said.

FOX 2 reached out to Ford and General Motors for comment, but the automakers haven't responded.