Japan’s economy minister Hiroko Ota has said she did not expect recent production halts due to earthquake damage at a key supplier to have a long-term impact on Japan’s vehicle industry.
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“If they can make up production over the next year, I don’t see a major impact. Still, there will be a short-term one,” she told the Associated Press (AP) during a regular press conference.
Toyota, Honda and Mazda re-started production at some domestic factories on Tuesday after piston ring and transmission seal maker Riken’s plant in north-central Japan resumed production once damaged equipment and gas and water lines had been repaired.
Spokesman Tomomi Imai told AP had Toyota resumed output on 20 of 31 assembly lines at its 12 factories in Japan, and would re-start the rest on Wednesday though the automaker would be monitoring the supply situation closely.
Toyota president Katsuaki Watanabe said on Monday that Toyota had by then lost about 46,000 vehicles and he expected that to rise to about 55,000.
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By GlobalDataHonda Motor also resumed production at a car plant and a motorcycle factory on Tuesday, as expected, and a second car plant was set to go back on line later today, a spokeswoman told the Associated Press.
The automaker, which told just-auto on Tuesday that two other factories would remain closed for the day, has since said they would resume production on Wednesday.
Honda’s production plans from Thursday onwards would be decided depending on the recovery process at Riken, the automaker told AP.
Ford affiliate Mazda re-started output at the second of two closed factories on Tuesday after reopening the other the night before, company spokeswoman Yukari Hara told the news agency. The company estimated its loss at 4,500 vehicles.
Company spokeswoman Tomo Nagami told the Associated Press Nissan Motor would re-start production at all closed plants on Wednesday and estimated output loss at about 12,000 vehicles, which it hopes to make up through overtime work and boosted production, she said.
Nissan had earlier told its UK unit it expected to make up any shortfall at three affected plants in August.
Mitsubishi Motors told the news agency it planned to resume production at three factories for two days from Wednesday, with later plans dependent on Riken, while Suzuki Motor said it would re-start all domestic production on Wednesday. The small car and motorcycle maker had halted production at two vehicle plants and one engine plant, the Associated Press added.
