Mazda Motor said it will stop producing vehicles for export to the Middle East until May after the Strait of Hormuz was shut.

Shipments to the region had already been suspended in March, with the company now shifting production capacity towards vehicles headed for the US and Europe, according to several media reports.

The Japanese carmaker has been building major models for Middle Eastern markets in Japan, including its mainstay CX-5 sport utility vehicle.

To keep total factory volumes steady, Mazda said it will raise production of the CX-5 and other vehicles for Western markets instead.

Mazda manufactures roughly 30,000 vehicles a year for the Middle East. Exports to the region have been on hold since March due to the war in Iran.

Looking ahead to June and later, the company, as reported by Nikkei Asia, said it will “make flexible decisions while closely monitoring developments”.

Other Japanese manufacturers are also changing plans as Iran-related tensions disrupt business.

Subaru said on 1 April that it had halted exports to the Middle East from that date.

Toyota Motor has also started reducing production of models intended for the region, including the Land Cruiser SUV.

Mazda’s latest operating figures showed its global production in February 2026 increased 6.7% from a year earlier to 101,934 vehicles.

Output in Japan rose 12.0% to 67,375 units, while overseas production fell 2.4% to 34,559.

Exports rose 17.7% to 60,939 vehicles, supported by gains in North America, up 34%, and Europe, up 24.1%.

Shipments to “other” markets fell 11.2%, a category that generally includes the Middle East.

Worldwide sales in February declined 9.1% to 92,993 vehicles, with domestic sales down 19.0% and overseas sales lower by 7.2%.

For the January-February period, production fell 2.9% and global sales were down 9.6%, although exports increased 11.7%.