Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Rubber & Plastics News
Subscribe
  • My Account
  • LogIn
  • News
  • Technology Focus
    • Features
    • Technical Papers
    • Analysis: Rubber mixing plants of the future
      Analysis: US probes dumping by ESBR suppliers
      Opinion: Tire labels stuck in a rut
      Analysis: NR pricing takes one step forward, two steps back
    • White paper: Role of tire innerliners in improving 'in-use rolling resistance'
      White paper: Why tire air retention matters now more than ever
      Nippon Soda: Use of 1,2-polybutadiene in CSM rubber applications
      Elastomers for Sustainability Top 10
  • Events
    • ERJ Events
    • ERJ Livestreams & Webinars
    • Industry Events
    • Journey to Automation Awards 2020
      Sustainability: Top 10 E4S projects table
  • Maps & Reports
  • People
  • Directory
  • Digital Edition
  • Brainiac
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
March 14, 2011 12:00 AM

Quake paralyses Japan's auto industry; Toyota shutters factories

ERJ Staff
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    ERJ staff report (AN)

    Tokyo -- Toyota Motor Corp. suspended production at all of its plants in Japan at least through Monday following the massive earthquake and tsunami that devastated coastal areas in the northern part of the country.

    Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said Sunday it would halt production at its three domestic assembly plants through Tuesday. The move follows similar suspensions at Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co.

    At least 2,300 Nissan and Infiniti brand vehicles awaiting shipment to US and Japan showrooms were damaged and some later caught fire when Friday's tsunami swept through the Port of Hitachi. They included nearly 1,300 Infiniti M, EX and FX models headed for North America.

    At Toyota, more than a dozen assembly plants and parts factories will be idled. Virtually every model exported to the United States from Japan, from the Prius and Corolla to models in the Lexus and Scion lineups, could be affected.

    Toyota's body-making subsidiaries in the quake zone, Kanto Auto Works Ltd. and Central Motors Co., will also keep plants closed.

    The shuttered plants account for about 45 percent of Toyota's global production.

    Toyota will decide when to restart production after reassessing damage and the condition of its supply chain on Monday, spokesman Keisuke Kirimoto said.

    "It's first things first. And that's safety," Kirimoto said.

    Toyota was still trying to get a grip on damage at plants in the disaster area, he added.

    No Toyota employees were injured when the deadly March 11 tremblor struck off Japan's northeast Pacific coast.

    Wiped out

    Authorities were still trying to reach towns wiped out by tsunamis or blocked off by impassable roads.

    But the death toll was expected to exceed the figure of 1,800 cited in media accounts. Nearly 10,000 people are unaccounted for in the port town of Minamisanriku alone, news reports say.

    Toyota was suspending operations partly so employees could regroup with relatives. Many people have gone missing and phone service in the disaster area is almost nonexistent.

    Toyota had planned to produce 3.89 million vehicles in Japan this calendar year, including output from its Hino truck-making and Daihatsu minicar subsidiaries. That's down 4 percent from 2010, but still represents nearly half of its global production forecast of 8.69 million vehicles.

    Automakers are also concerned about damage to plants and the possibility of aftershocks. In addition, they have to ensure that suppliers are intact and ready to keep delivering parts.

    Nuclear concerns

    A new concern was the possibility of a meltdown at a nuclear power plant damaged by the quake and tsunami. Authorities are rushing to prevent that but have expanded the evacuation zone to a 12 mile radius around the site. Small amounts of radiation are already leaking, reports say.

    The killer 8.9-magnitude earthquake and the tsunami waves it triggered ruptured gas lines, wiped out villages, devastated ports and turned coastal areas into swampy morasses.

    Aftershocks, many strong, continued rocking the region through Sunday.

    Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., the maker of Subaru cars, closed five factories after the quake. It was unclear if it would resume operations on Monday.

    Automakers including Mazda and Suzuki were largely spared from the quake's effects initially because they have assembly plants in other areas of the country.

    But the companies are still gathering information about the impact on suppliers and distribution systems.

    Mitsubishi had intended to resume work on Monday. But a spokesman said Sunday that its assembly plants would rest through Tuesday while the company coordinated parts shipments and distribution with suppliers, some of whom are in the quake zone.


    From Automotive News (A Crain publication)

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    China’s 11-month tire production records first growth in 2020
    China’s 11-month tire production records first growth in 2020
    ANRPC notes rubber price recovery
    ANRPC notes rubber price recovery
    Biesterfeld to supply Denka acrylate rubbers
    Biesterfeld to supply Denka acrylate rubbers
    Free Newsletters

    Breaking news and in-depth coverage of essential topics delivered straight to your inbox.

    Subscribe today

    Get the latest news impacting the European rubber industry, from breaking news to razor-sharp analysis, in print and online.

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Youtube

    Logo
    Contact Us

    @ 2019 European Rubber Journal. All rights reserved.
    Contact Us European Rubber Journal, Crain Communication LTD, Ground Floor 11 Ironmonger Lane, London EC2V 8EY, UK

    Customer Service:
    1-313-446-0450

    Resources
    • About us
    • Contact Us
    • Staff
    • Advertise with Us
    • Media Kit
    • Careers
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
    • Technology Focus
      • Features
      • Technical Papers
    • Events
      • ERJ Events
      • ERJ Livestreams & Webinars
      • Industry Events
    • Maps & Reports
    • People
    • Directory
    • Digital Edition
    • Brainiac