Magna, Linamar and Martinrea have agreed to assist in the production of much-needed ventilators during the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19. They'll work with a trio of medical suppliers.

The Canadian supplier said it has $1 billion in cash and $3 billion in readily available credit as it's forced to idle some operations due to the coronoavirus pandemic. French supplier Faurecia also abandoned its financial guidance.

The Canadian province's exempted list includes "car and truck dealerships and related facilities.” Several dealerships across Canada service and repair police vehicles, ambulances, firetrucks and delivery vehicles.

“Clearly the news of customer shutdowns this week globally will have impact on the facilities supplying those customers,” CEO Linda Hasenfratz said in a statement. 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Donald Trump agreed Wednesday morning to close the border to non-essential traffic in both directions.

FCA Canada says Unifor began a work refusal late Thursday after one of its members decided to self-quarantine as a precaution. The employee had possible secondary contact with an individual who has undergone testing for the coronavirus. Produdction resumed later Friday afternoon. 

The automaker has been attempting to end production on the third shift for nearly a year, but continues to change the end date. FCA declined to say why the shift has been extended until July 13.

FCA, aligning volume with demand as Dodge Grand Caravan output is to be discontinued in May, said the longtime minivan factory will switch to a "traditional two-shift operation" starting June 29, resulting in 1,500 layoffs.

The British Columbia-based automaker says it has narrowed its search to seven states and that the planned U.S. facility is expected to employ up to 200 people.

CEO Rob Steele said the Nova Scotia-based dealership group will continue to scout opportunities in the Austin-San Antonio area after buying its first U.S. store.

The Canadian auto supply giant said the stronger U.S. dollar, the sale of its fluid pressure and controls business and lower expected light vehicle production in Europe will impact revenue this year.

The British Columbia-based automaker in November 2019 opened a kiosk in the Westfield Century City Shopping Mall on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles. Now, it's looking at locations in the states of Washington and Oregon. It is scheduled to be released in 2020 and expected to retail for less than $20,000.

The Canadian supplier is developing new camera technology in the interest of fuel economy, but it’s expensive, the images aren’t as clear as with glass and governments are not yet on board.

The shutdown comes as sales of the Chrysler Pacifica and the Dodge Grand Caravan continue to fall in Canada and the United States.

Canadian new-vehicle sales ended 2019 down 3.6 percent but automakers still managed to sell more than 1.9 million units for the fourth consecutive year. “You can make a lot of money in a 1.9-million market,” said one analyst.