Toyota Motor Corp. suspended some operations at a plant in Japan after about a dozen workers caught COVID-19, adding to disruptions over in China where a key factory has been shut for more than a week to comply with the country’s mass testing efforts.
The first shift on a production line at Toyota’s Tsutsumi plant has been halted from Wednesday through Saturday, a move that will likely impact output of around 1,500 vehicles, the company said. Toyota’s popular Camry sedan is among the models manufactured at the factory in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture.
The halt is the latest of several setbacks the world’s top-selling automaker has faced as the highly contagious omicron coronavirus variant takes hold in Asia. Toyota also idled operations in Tianjin, China, as the local government carried out mass testing due to a virus flareup in the port city near Beijing.
Toyota said this week it is unlikely to reach its goal of making 9 million cars this fiscal year due to persistent chip shortages plaguing the auto industry. The company’s shares then slumped 5% Wednesday, their biggest loss since December 2018.
Separately, rival Honda Motor Co. said Thursday its Suzuka plant in nearby Mie Prefecture would be operating at around 90% capacity in early February. The production cut stems from supply issues related to the global chip shortage and COVID-19 outbreaks overseas, according to the automaker.
Nissan Motor Co.’s production is "on a recovery track” even though the chip shortage situation remains uncertain, Chief Executive Officer Makoto Uchida said in an interview with Bloomberg Television on Thursday.
"We expect the market to recover but the COVID situation is uncertain and we need to be prepared and continue to monitor,” Uchida said.
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