Tesla and fellow automaker SAIC Motor were among a handful of companies on China’s initial whitelist to resume over 80 percent production, according to a report from Chinese state media outlet Global Times (via Teslarati) on the weekend.
Other production facilities, such as important semiconductor manufacturers SMIC and Hua Hong Semiconductor are producing over 90 percent, one official said on Saturday.
The companies are among 1,854 companies authorized by the Shanghai government to continue work, as detailed by Chief Engineer of the Shanghai Economic and Information Technology Commission Zhang Hontao at a press conference on Saturday.
The “whitelist” approach from the Chinese government is intended to help key companies begin production again and hopefully minimize the recent COVID-19 outbreak’s effect on the supply chain.
At the press conference, Zhang said, “We are ramping up efforts to help companies solve difficulties in resuming production.”
Shanghai has begun deploying a digital pass card that allows workers to show their identity, employer and a negative nucleic acid result to use shuttle buses to their companies in a closed-loop production system.
Shanghai reports having issued over 10,000 of the digital pass cards, with another 30,000 workers resuming work using other means.
Local authorities are also encouraging companies to resume production through a red light, yellow light and green light in various places in the supply chain.
