Toyota to Partially Resume Production in 7 Plants

After suspending all factories following the nation's biggest ever earthquake, Toyota said on March 16 that it would resume partial production of car parts at seven plants in Japan. In the aftermath of earthquake, Toyota had said it would suspend all production until at least March 15.

The plants will first begin making replacement parts for the domestic market, and on March 21restart production of parts to supply to its overseas factories.

Toyota has 22 plants in Japan, directly operating 12 of them.

A Toyota spokesman said the company did not know when it would resume production at its other plants that make cars.

The spokesman added Toyota Tohoku, a new plant in Miyagi, suffered minor damage in the quake but was not affected by the tsunami that followed.

With rolling power cuts planned for Japan, companies from big producers to suppliers of key components have shut plants.

World markets tumbled on March 15 on fears for the global supply chain. Toyota shares closed 9.13% higher on March 16 while the broader Nikkei index staged a rebound from a two-day sell-off that had seen it slide 16%.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2011

See Also

Earthquake Puts Brakes on Japan's Auto Production

Earthquake Halts Manufacturing in Parts of Japan; Automakers Hit

Japan Quake, Tsunami Could Hit Global Production