BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. – Volvo Cars recently suspended production at its manufacturing plant in Ridgeville, citing a supply chain issue, the company confirmed Friday. The good news is representatives for the Swedish car maker say it’s not a long-term move.
“Our local production in Charleston USA was temporarily paused due to a supply chain issue,” a Volvo Cars spokesperson told The Berkeley Observer. “We have been working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible and production will resume on Saturday, May 31.”
The pause comes just weeks after the company announced layoffs at the same facility in Berkeley County, a move that affected dozens of workers and sparked concern about the plant’s future. The factory, which opened in 2018, assembles Volvo’s electric and gas-powered models for the U.S. market and export.
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The cause of the supply disruption has not been specified, but some officials are pointing fingers at international trade policy, namely tariffs.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, U.S. Congressman Jim Clyburn blamed former President Donald Trump’s tariff policies for complicating port traffic and straining manufacturers across South Carolina.
“Trump’s reckless tariffs are continuing to wreak havoc on South Carolina’s economy,” Clyburn wrote. “Jobs have already been lost, and more are at grave risk.”
Clyburn referenced Trump’s past comments suggesting that slowed port traffic could benefit U.S. industry. “South Carolinians know how wrong he is,” he added.
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Volvo’s South Carolina plant is a critical part of the state’s manufacturing economy and a key employer in the Lowcountry region.
While production is expected to resume this weekend, the back-to-back disruptions—layoffs followed by a temporary halt—are fueling uncertainty among workers and drawing renewed attention to the broader pressures facing U.S. manufacturing.
