Because it’s “deeply concerned with the very unfortunate situation in Ukraine,” the auto-parts manufacturer said it’s idling its facilities in Russia. Magna has six plants there, with 2,500 workers. (The Logic)
Talking point: Sanctions and financial barriers imposed to punish Russia for invading Ukraine have made transactions between western countries and Russia all but impossible, but Magna had kept its factories there running until Thursday. Meanwhile, Canada’s Nutrien could benefit from a Russian move to throttle its major exports of fertilizers; Canada is the world’s biggest producer of potash, a key fertilizer ingredient, with Russia at No. 2 and its ally Belarus at No. 3. But overall, a fertilizer shortage would mean lower crop yields and therefore higher prices in a food market already hit by poor growing conditions and supply-chain problems. A possible problem for Nutrien (and the rest of us): 3,000 workers at Canadian Pacific Railway have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike March 16.