Toyota Motor Corp. said on Jan 6 that it would suspend production at all of its domestic plants for 11 days in February and March in response to a slump in sales. "We will suspend the operation of 12 Toyota factories in Japan for 11 more days," a Toyota spokesman said.
The company is already idling its domestic plants for three days in January to cope with rapidly worsening demand.
Toyota, which vies with General Motors for the crown of the world's largest automaker, has already moved to reduce production at its domestic, U.S., Canadian and French factories.
It also plans to lay off 3,000 temporary workers in Japan, where it builds cars for both domestic and overseas markets.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2009