Communications during a crisis need to be authentic, measured and to the point, says one expert. Mazda Canada immediately let its customers and dealers know it would stand behind a dealer’s decision to close, and that it is open to discussions with customers affected by the crisis. 

The automaker has pushed back targeted opening dates twice now as the pandemic worsens. It was previously aiming to begin work at Hermosillo Assembly in Mexico on April 6 and a handful of U.S. plants on April 14.

Mid-April appears to be the earliest that most North America production could resume, but the deaths of at least six UAW members at Ford and FCA in the United States underscore the worries many workers have about returning to the factory floor. In Canada, the union Unifor remains skeptical about a return to production.

Mexico's automakers and parts suppliers, citing a lack of clarity about content rules that would allow companies to adjust supply chains, as well as disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, are lobbying for key rules in the new North American trade pact to be implemented in 2021 instead of June 1 as scheduled.