Hyundai says immigration crackdown will delay Georgia battery plant by 2-3 months

Courtesy of Hyundai Motors — Hyundai Motor President Jose Munoz/ Courtesy of Hyundai Motor

SEOUL, September 12 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor’s top U.S. executive said Friday that construction of its $7.6 billion battery plant in Georgia will be pushed back by at least two to three months.

Jose Munoz, Hyundai Motor’s global president and chief operating officer, said raids at the construction site created staffing shortages as some workers returned to South Korea following mass detentions.

“For the construction phase of the plants, you need to get specialized people. There are a lot of skills and equipment that you cannot find in the United States,” Munoz told reporters in Detroit.

The facility, a joint venture with LG Energy Solution, is central to Hyundai’s electric vehicle expansion in North America.

To limit disruption, Hyundai said it would source batteries from other plants, including a separate Georgia facility run with SK On. The company stressed that its long-term U.S. strategy remains unchanged despite the delay.

Hyundai Motor Group’s Chairman, Chung Eui-sun, also commented publicly on the incident, expressing relief that detained workers had returned home and urging closer coordination between Seoul and Washington on visa rules for specialized labor.

Candice Kim candicekim1121@ajupress.com