Canada's transport minister said Wednesday that vaccine mandate protesters interrupting a key US-Canada border crossing this week are harming supply chains.

The third week of protests is currently disrupting the regional automobile industry, which is standing to lose $50 million if the situation remains as is. 

The Ambassador Bridge, which was shut down on Tuesday and is currently blocked to commercial traffic due to protests, is the busiest bridge between Canada and the United States and is a vital link for the auto industry.

Automakers are straining to address scarcity in supplies as long-haul trucks and smaller automobiles become stuck in traffic.

Omar Alghabra, Canada's Transport Minister, tweeted on Wednesday evening, "Occupiers disrupting our supply chain are creating major consequences for Canadians and Canadian workers. They must go home."

According to the New York Times, the protests have had a particularly negative impact on manufacturers, who are already vulnerable due to a global semiconductor shortage.

Auto companies halt production

Ford said it "shut down two Canadian plants and reduced production" at another factory on Wednesday, the NYT wrote.

According to NBC News, Stellantis, an international automaker, momentarily paused operations at one of its plants on Wednesday.

Global Automakers of Canada president David Adams, who represents both businesses, told the New York Times that Toyota and Honda would "likely be closing some production lines later on Wednesday because of border closures."

In an emailed statement, a Toyota spokeswoman claimed that "a combination of the supply chain, extreme weather, and Covid related problems" are hampering production at Toyota's North American factories, including Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada.

"Our teams are working diligently to minimize the impact on production. While the situation is fluid and changes frequently, we do not anticipate any impact to employment at this time," the spokesperson added.

"We expect some disruption between now and this weekend, and we'll continue to make adjustments to our production plans."

What does this mean?

The Alberta Bridge accounts for around 25% of trade between the United States and Canada, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

"It's important for everyone in Canada and the United States to understand what the potential impact of this blockage is on workers, on the supply chain," she added.

Protests in Ottawa against Canada's COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other restrictions have lasted nearly two weeks and have expanded to other provinces.