Groups representing major automakers and suppliers asked U.S. lawmakers  on Friday to consider new tax relief and delay the start of a new trade  deal as auto sales decline as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The proposals come as major automakers are temporarily closing plants  and cutting production. On Friday, BMW AG became the latest to announce  a production halt.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation — representing General Motors Co, Volkswagen AG,  BMW, Toyota Motor Corp and others — and the Motor & Equipment  Manufacturers Association (MEMA) in a joint letter seen by Reuters  backed “key actions” by U.S. lawmakers to help “ensure that sufficient  liquidity remains available in the markets.”
The auto groups  endorsed proposals supported by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and others  to create “credit facilities to provide loans and loan guarantees to  employers with more than 500 employees experiencing loss of revenue due  to COVID-19..." 
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