Thai floods: Recovery under way

The Thai government has suspended import duties on built-up and knocked down [kit] vehicles and parts until June 2012 as a relief measure for the country’s flood-hit automotive industry. All manufacturers qualify for the tax holiday. All our coverage of the effect on the auto industry of the worst floods in 50 years is here.

THAILAND: Honda plans lower flood risk plant

27 March 2012

Honda Motor, which has just restarted Thailand production after a flood-induced six-month hiatus, has decided to build another automobile factory, likely in the southeastern part of the country where the risk of flooding is lower, company sources said.

THAILAND: Honda returns to normal operations

26 March 2012

Honda has restarted production at its car plant in Thailand, crippled for the past six months after massive flooding there last year.

THAI FLOODS: Honda Ayutthaya plant back on stream in March

31 January 2012

Honda Motor said on Tuesday (31 January) its car factory in Thailand (in the Rojana Industrial Park, Ayutthaya) would resume production by the end of March.

JAPAN: Thai floods hit Honda third quarter profits

31 January 2012

Honda Motor net income for the fiscal third quarter ended 31 December, 2011 fell 41.2% to JPY47.6bn on sales off 8% to JPY1,942.5bn ($24,988m).

THAI FLOODS: Honda Siel to resume peak production by March

23 January 2012

Honda Siel Motors expects to return to its peak capacity of 9,000-10,000 units per month by March after production was affected by the Thailand floods which caused parts shortages.

TAIWAN: Honda hopes to resume production after February

18 January 2012

Honda Taiwan Motor, a fully-owned subsidiary of Honda Japan, reportedly plans to restart car assembly after February, industry sources told CENS.com.

THAILAND: Toyota sees 2012 sales up 39%

18 January 2012

Toyota's Thai unit expects local car sales to rise 38.5% to 1.1m in 2012, up from a drop of 0.8% last year when the sector was hit by flood-related supply disruption.

THAI FLOODS: Tax breaks for flooded manufacturers

15 December 2011

The Thai government is expected to offer tax breaks to manufacturers directly affected by the floods in October and November of this year.

THAI FLOODS: Philippines sales fall 3.3% in November

14 December 2011

New vehicle sales in the Philippines fell 3.3% year on year to 12,090 units in November, and by 10.4% compared with the previous month, according to member data released by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc (CAMPI).

JAPAN: Toyota warns on profits

9 December 2011

Toyota has halved its full year profit forecast reflecting the full impact of the strong yen and supply chain disruptions triggered by the flooding in Thailand.

THAI FLOODS: Honda India halts Brio production

8 December 2011

Honda Siel, 99.9% owned by Honda Motor and 0.1% by India's Siel, has halted Brio hatchback assembly because of a shortage of parts from Thailand, caused by floods there. The Brio is also assembled in Thailand as is another Indian model, the City sedan.

THAI FLOODS: Toyota Thailand, South Africa still on slowed output

5 December 2011

Toyota Motor said plants in Thailand and South Africa are continuing to operate with adjusted production levels from Monday (5 December) as the lingering effects of the flooding in Thailand continue to affect the firm's parts supply chain.

THAI FLOODS: Honda Taiwan halting from 15 December

5 December 2011

Honda Motor said production in Taiwan will be suspended from 15 December as the flooding in Thailand has stopped supply of some key components.

THAI FLOODS: Thailand suspends auto import duties

30 November 2011

The Thai government confirmed it would suspend import duties on built-up and knocked down [kit] vehicles and parts until June 2012 as a relief measure for the country’s flood-hit automotive industry.

TOKYO SHOW: The power of Earth Dreams drives Honda

30 November 2011

Honda is planning to launch a family of six new engines over the next two or three years, including a 1.6-litre diesel designed specifically for Europe.

THAILAND: No Toyota sales at Thai Auto show

29 November 2011

Toyota Motor said it will not carry out normal marketing activity at the 28th Thai International Motor Expo to be held at the Impact Arena in Muang Dong, Bangkok, between 1-12 December.

INDIA: Thai parts supply problems causing Honda Siel 'havoc' - paper

25 November 2011

Supply constraints due to the floods in Thailand are "wreaking havoc" at Honda's Indian operations and forced the company to shut down production of the City sedan and Brio compact, a local report media said.

THAI FLOODS: Toyota NA plants 'normal' next two weeks

24 November 2011

Toyota’s North American vehicle plants will continue operating a normal production schedule for the weeks of 28 November and 5 December, including overtime, the automaker said last night (23 November).

THAI FLOODS: Toyota restarts operations at three Thai factories

21 November 2011

Toyota Motor on Monday (21 November) restarted production at three factories on the outskirts of Bangkok after halting their operations since October due to supply chain disruptions caused by flooding, Toyota officials said.

THAI FLOODS: Toyota to resume production

18 November 2011

Toyota Motor said it would resume production at a Thai plant from Monday (21 November) after being forced to halt operations there for about a month due to the massive flooding in the country.

THAI FLOODS: Toyota North America on normal schedule

17 November 2011

Based on continued parts availability, Toyota's North American vehicle plants expect to continue operating on a normal production schedule for the weeks of 21 November and 28 November, including overtime, the automaker said.

THAI FLOODS: Honda Civic UK launch delayed

16 November 2011

Honda will be a month late launching its new UK-built Civic which now isn't expected to go on sale until early February.

THAI FLOODS: Nissan, Honda and Isuzu update resumption plans

15 November 2011

Nissan Motor expects to resume full production at its Thai plant in early December from about 30-40% of normal now, senior vice president Hiroto Saikawa told Reuters in Japan on Tuesday.

THAI FLOODS: Mitsubishi, Nissan, Mazda restart output

14 November 2011

Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan Motor and Mazda Motor restarted production at their Thai plants on Monday (14 November) after being forced to suspend operations for about a month because of flood damage to local suppliers, company officials said.

THAI FLOODS: Government determined to take action

14 November 2011

Thailand is determined to remain the manufacturing hub of Southeast Asia by overcoming the flooding that caused crippling damage to foreign businesses operating in the country, Thai deputy prime minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong said in an interview.

THAI FLOODS: Import duty suspension to help recovery

14 November 2011

The Federation of Thai Industries has backed Honda Motor’s calls to suspend import duties until vehicle manufacturers affected by the floods are able to restore local production.

PHILIPPINES: Sales down 2.2% YTD in October

11 November 2011

New vehicle sales in the Philippines fell by 2.2% to 138,092 units in the first 10 months of 2011, compared with year-earlier sales of 141,214 units, according to combined data compiled by two separate industry associations.

THAI FLOODS: Mitsubishi plant restarting on 14 November

10 November 2011

Mitsubishi Motors said on Thursday (10 November) it would restart production at its Laem Chabang Plant in Thailand from Monday, 14 November.

THAI FLOODS: Toyota production back to normal early in New Year

10 November 2011

Toyota has told its suppliers it aims to return to normal production levels in Japan in early 2012, restoring output hit by the impact of Thai floods, according to Reuters.

THAI FLOODS: Isuzu extends shutdown to Friday

9 November 2011

Isuzu Motors is extending suspension of operations at group plants in Thailand to Friday, 11 November due to flood-related disruption of parts supplies.

THAI FLOODS: Honda North America cuts continue

9 November 2011

Honda Motor will continue reduced production at its North American plants after flooding in Thailand disrupted the supply of some key electronic parts sourced from the country.

THAI FLOODS: Honda dealers warn of bankruptcy

9 November 2011

Honda dealers across Thailand are becoming increasingly concerned for the future of their businesses, as they face a prolonged period of supply disruption due to the floods.

JAPAN: Toyota profit outlook hit by Thai floods

8 November 2011

As Toyota today announced second quarter net profit down a hefty 18.5% on last year, it also withdrew its guidance for fiscal 2012 due to the impact on operations of the floods in Thailand.

THAI FLOODS: Honda and Isuzu plants near Bangkok affected

8 November 2011

Bangkok authorities have widened an evacuation order in the city’s northern districts and moved to protect two industrial parks near the main international airport - one home to Honda and Isuzu plants - as floodwaters encircled the Thai capital.

JAPAN: Toyota scraps forecast as Thai floods hit

8 November 2011

Toyota has followed Honda in scrapping profit forecasts after Thailand’s worst floods in almost 70 years hit efforts to recover from the Japanese earthquake on 11 March and its second quarter net profit slumped 18.5%.

THAI FLOODS: Minister, industry, call for protection measures

7 November 2011

Thailand's Thailand’s science and technology minister, Plodprasop Surasawadi, has told a Thai newspaper that he was “one million percent sure” there would be flooding again next year.

THAI FLOODS: Honda India to reduce output

7 November 2011

Honda Motor Company's Indian unit is cutting output due to a shortage of parts from flood-hit Thailand.

THAI FLOODS: Mitsubishi extends production halt to 12 November

7 November 2011

Mitsubishi Motors has extended its Thai plant production halt to 12 November. The Laem Chabang plant - the main source of Triton/L200 light pickup trucks and the Challenger Sport SUV - has not built any vehicles since the night shift on 13 October.

THAI FLOODS: Honda UK delays next Civic on parts shortages

4 November 2011

Honda is cutting production at its UK manufacturing plant and putting back the launch of the next Civic hatchback due to parts shortages as a result of the floods in Thailand.

THAI FLOODS: Toyota extends worldwide production cuts

4 November 2011

Toyota on Friday announced further production cuts worldwide as a result of parts shortages caused by flooding in Thailand.

THAI FLOODS: Nissan plant closed until 14 November

4 November 2011

Nissan said on Friday (4 November) its Thai plant at Samut Prakan remained unaffected by the floods so far and it had taken all possible measures to strengthen the plant's flood defences. Production remained suspended, due to parts shortages, but the automaker hopes to resume production of most models from 14 November.

THAI FLOODS: Toyota Peugeot Citroen Automobile has stock until month-end

3 November 2011

Toyota Peugeot Citroen Automobile (TPCA) in the Czech Republic said it had been affected by sub-suppliers in Thailand facing difficulties from the country's flooding, but had enough stock to last its car assembly plant until the end of the month.

THAI FLOODS: Supplier machine tax incentives to be announced shortly

3 November 2011

Thailand is to reveal details of tax incentives shortly for auto suppliers that continue to be severely affected by the country's massive floods with many not able to fully restart until the beginning of next year.

THAI FLOODS: Honda's US unit details output slowdown

1 November 2011

As flooding in Thailand continues, a number of Honda suppliers in Asia currently are unable to maintain parts production which is disrupting the flow of parts to production operations in North America, the automaker's US unit said.

THAI FLOODS: Mitsubishi plant down until 5 November

31 October 2011

Mitsubishi Motors, which has temporarily halted production at Thailand's Laem Chabang plant since the night shift on 13 October, has now extended the closure to 5 November.

THAI FLOODS - Honda to keep Thai factory shut for 6 months - reports

31 October 2011

Honda Motor is likely to have to keep its Thai factory shut for about six months due to severe flooding, a move seen affecting 3% of its annual global car output, Japan's Nikkei business daily reported. The report came ahead of a huge plunge in the automaker's fiscal second quarter and first half profits.

THE WEEK THAT WAS: 'Quake lessons still being learned?

28 October 2011

"Lessons will be learned." That trite phrase is heard far too often here in Britain, usually being read from a statement, vetted by a whey-faced, dark-suited lawyer, by an equally whey-faced, dark-suited 'spokesman' attempting to explain to assembled media the latest bureaucratic cock-up, more often than not by one of the country's overly powerful and inept local councils. I didn't quite hear the phrase in those exact words at the time but the implication was obvious and you'd think some lessons might have been learned about globalisation of auto parts supply following the Japanese earthquake in March. Wouldn't you?

THAI FLOODS: Mitsubishi estimates 35,000 unit output loss

28 October 2011

Mitsubishi Motors expects vehicle output in Thailand to decline by 30,000 to 35,000 units if its local plants remain idled throughout November due to the widespread flooding in the country, company officials said.

THAI FLOODS: Impact spreading worldwide for Toyota

28 October 2011

Toyota has said it would keep its Thai production suspended for a fourth week and reduce output in North America and South Africa marking further impact of the floods in Thailand on car production outside Asia - supplies of some Honda parts to other countries have previously been hit.

THAI FLOODS: Honda postponed Japan minivehicle launch

28 October 2011

Honda postponed the launch of a minivehicle model in Japan earlier this month after it was unable to obtain parts from flood-hit Thailand, managing officer Sho Minekawa said.

THAI FLOODS: Nissan output suspended next week

28 October 2011

Nissan Motor said on Friday Thai production would remain suspended for at least another week, until 4 November, with no sign of an end to the supply chain disruption cuased by the worst floods in decades.

THAI FLOODS: Petrol shortages hamper auto suppliers as floods rise

28 October 2011

Some Thai auto parts supplier staff are having to sleep in factories as the country's relentless flooding leads to fuel shortages.

THAI FLOODS: Auto damage put at US$13bn so far as army steps in

27 October 2011

Damage to Thailand's huge automotive sector from the vast floods currently sweeping the country has been estimated at US$13bn, with military help mobilised to protect Bangkok.

THAI FLOODS: Toyota’s US operations affected

27 October 2011

Toyota’s global assembly operations have been hit by flooding for the second time this year.

JAPAN/KOREA/INDIA: Mixed fiscal Q2/calendar Q3 results expected, outlook cloudy

26 October 2011

The lingering effects of the Japanese earthquake are expected to mar Japanese automakers' fiscal Q2 results while the Thai floods cloud outlooks but the Koreans are expected to deliver another round of stellar results. Q2 results in India are also expected to be down as sales slow.

THAI FLOODS: Suppliers move stock to higher ground as floods advance

26 October 2011

Auto parts suppliers in Thailand are preparing for any potential surge in water levels as the flooding crisis in the country continues to wreak enormous damage.

THAI FLOODS: Honda Malaysia stops production

26 October 2011

Honda Malaysia has temporarily halted production at its Melaka plant as a result of a parts shortage caused by flooding in Thailand, state news agency Bernama said.

THAI FLOODS: Suppliers turn abroad as water could stop factories until mid-November

26 October 2011

Many of Thailand's thousands of auto suppliers are having to turn overseas in a bid to staunch the loss from massive floods that have swept across vast swathes of the country.

ANALYSIS: ASEAN Q3 sales recover

26 October 2011

New vehicle sales in the ASEAN region’s six largest markets increased by 13.4% to 707,798 units in the third quarter of 2011, from 624,073 units a year earlier, according to data compiled by Tony Pugliese.

THAI FLOODS: Effects and aid measures continue

25 October 2011

Analysts' estimates of the effect of the Thai floods on automakers' bottom lines are starting to flow in as the Japanese and Thai governments and central banks plan collaboration to help Japanese firms. Moody's forecast a 2% hit to Thai GDP and Honda has now been forced to stop motorcycle output as well.

COMMENT: Sandbags scramble for Thai auto parts makers

25 October 2011

Catastrophic floods are devastating vast swaths of Bangkok and its surrounding areas, but the scale of the problem is only just becoming apparent.

THAI FLOODS: Mitsubishi plant down till 31 October

24 October 2011

Mitsubishi Motors vehicle assembly in Thailand will be temporarily halted at least until 31 October, the automaker said.

THAI FLOODS: Akebono restart indefinite

24 October 2011

Brake supplier Akebono said Thai operations had been temporarily suspended from 12 October following shutdowns at automotive OEM customers and a date for the resumption of operations has not yet been determined.

THE WEEK THAT WAS: Suzuki conciliatory over strike

20 October 2011

The long-running strike at Maruti Suzuki has got costly for the company and threatened sales in the normal festival boom time. You'd think the company's management would be spitting tacks by now but its attitude is still more concilatory than you'd expect.