Toyota Motors, the Japanese leading automotive company, has announced that a subsidiary’s plant will be closed for a total of five days due to parts shortage caused by the COVID-19 outbreak in Southeast Asia.
Toyota Auto Body Company’s Fujimatsu plant in Japan’s Aichi Prefecture will be closed from July 29 to 30 and August 2 to 4, according to a statement from the automaker.
According to a Toyota official, three plants in Thailand were shut down this week also due to the scarcity of parts caused by the coronavirus outbreak in the Southeast Asian country.
The carmaker has sourced wire harnesses to connect electrical components from an external factory in Thaliand plant, which was recently forced to shut down temporarily due to an outbreak of the virus. The closures underlines how the pandemic is still putting the automobile supply chain under strain.
Last month, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, a passenger vehicle manufacturer, announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA) to impart best practices in automotive supply chain systems to auto parts manufacturers in India.
The production halt at these three Thai plants will run until July 28, and Toyota will decide whether or not to reopen the plant after that date, according to the source.
At the same time, Toyota resumed production at its Durban facility, following successful talks with national and local officials. The Hilux, Fortuner, and Corolla Quest models are all produced at this plant. And from November 2021, it will start manufacturing Corolla Cross, a small SUV.
Similarly, Honda Motor recently said that the company would suspend car production at its Suzuka plant for five days in early August due to COVID-related supply troubles in Southeast Asia as the third wave is expected to cause more damages to life in the region.
