Toyota, other automakers to suspend production at all domestic plants

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TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Toyota Motor Corp. and two other automakers will continue to suspend production at all their domestic vehicle assembly plants on Monday due to difficulties in procuring auto parts following Friday's deadly earthquake in northeastern Japan, company officials said Saturday.

Toyota plans to close its five domestic plants, including those operated by its subsidiaries, and 12 auto parts plants, Toyota officials said.
Toyota subsidiary Central Motor Co. manufactures Toyota vehicles at its plant in Miyagi Prefecture and Kanto Auto Works Ltd., also a Toyota unit, produces Toyota cars at its plant in Iwate Prefecture. The two prefectures were affected severely by the magnitude 8.8 quake.

The suspension is partly to check whether workers at the factories are safe, a Toyota official said.
Nissan Motor Co. plans to suspend production at its three domestic plants on Monday as two of the plants have been damaged by the quake.
Honda Motor Co. will suspend production at its assembly plants in Saitama and Mie prefectures.

Nippon Steel Corp. has also suspended operations at its steel mill in Kamaishi, Iwate, which was hit by quake-induced tsunami. Supply of steel products for automakers will be disrupted if the steel mill sustains severe damage.
Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. and Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. have also suspended operations at their plants in Fukushima Prefecture, while GS Yuasa Corp. has suspended production of car batteries at its plant in Gunma Prefecture. Fukushima Prefecture has also been affected severely by the earthquake.
Among electric and electronics product makers, Mitsubishi Electric Corp. and NEC Corp. said they will check production lines at their plants to determine whether to resume production on Monday.
(Mainichi Japan) March 13, 2011