Ford Motor (NYSE:F) shares fell 1.6% in early trading on Tuesday after a Wall Street Journal report revealed that a major fire at a key aluminum supplier’s facility could disrupt the automaker’s production for several months.
The blaze destroyed a large portion of Novelis’s Oswego, New York plant, which supplies about 40% of the aluminum sheet used by the U.S. auto industry, according to the report. The plant is not expected to resume full operations until early 2026, raising concerns across the sector about potential supply shortages.
The impact is particularly significant for Ford’s F-150 pickup truck, the company’s most profitable model and the top-selling vehicle in the United States, which relies heavily on aluminum body panels and components. Ford transitioned the F-150 from steel to aluminum a decade ago to improve efficiency and performance.
Sources familiar with the situation told the Wall Street Journal that the automaker will likely address the potential supply chain disruption during its upcoming quarterly earnings call, as analysts assess the implications for output and profitability.
While Ford emphasized that it works with multiple aluminum suppliers in addition to Novelis, it remains unclear how much production can be offset through these alternative sources in the near term.
The incident underscores the fragility of automotive supply chains, particularly for critical materials like aluminum, and could add further pressure to Ford’s manufacturing and delivery schedules heading into 2026.
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