JAPAN DISASTER: Toyota to run Japan factories at 50% up to 3 June

15 April 2011 11:44  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS)--Toyota Motor will run its vehicle assembly facilities in Japan at half of their normal volumes from 10 May to 3 June, the company said in a statement on Friday.

The company will decide on its production plans beyond 3 June, while assessing the parts-supply situation that has been affected by the earthquake and tsunami on 11 March, it said.

Toyota hopes to restart all its manufacturing plants in Japan on 18 April but production rate will just be at 50%. It will again shut the operations for 12 days from 28 April for the annual spring holidays.

The company’s overseas production facilities have been affected by the disruption to the supply of parts.

Toyota will halve production at its facility at Altona, Victoria state in Australia next month, while it will suspend operations at five factories in Europe from late April to early May, the company said in a series of statements released this week.

It also announced plans to operate its North American plants at reduced rates.

The automobile sector is large end-market for materials such as polypropylene (PP), nylon, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyurethane flexible foam, synthetic rubber, and paints and coatings.

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) estimates that each automobile contains an average of $2,700 (€1,863) worth of chemicals.

($1 = €0.69)

By: Nurluqman Suratman

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