Buying a used car was previously a relatively easy thing to do.

But that was then, and this is now.

Part of the chip shortage was triggered by the sanctions the Trump administration imposed on China that year.

Used car lot with parked cars

But it wasn’t enough that demand was on the rise.

The Delta variant-driven shortage in Asia has already succeeded in shuttering General Motors plants across the country.

“COVIDis driving supply constraints in countries that produce semiconductor chips,” GM spokesman Dan Flores tellsUSA Today.

machine making high-precision microchips

So if you’re looking to upgrade or downsize, now may not be the time to do it.

Car plant in California

sign outside used car dealership