NEW YORK, NY — Despite a number of media reports that claimed Toyota was announcing a shutdown of production in North America as a result of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan last month, Toyota Motor Corp. has said otherwise in an official statement on its corporate website.
"Contrary to recent headlines, nothing has changed from our update from March 23 regarding our North American operations," the statement reads.
"We continue to assess our supply base in Japan following the earthquake/tsunami. We have communicated to team members, associates and dealers here that some production interruptions in North America are likely. It’s too early to predict location or duration.
"Currently, the greatest majority of parts for our North America-built vehicles come from approximately 500 suppliers in North America. Also, we continue to receive parts from Japan that were already in the pipeline, limiting the immediate impact. We will continue to work closely with suppliers in North America and Japan to minimize any disruptions to Toyota’s overall North American operations."
As a result of the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake, most Toyota vehicle
production in Japan has been halted, the automaker says. However, some production in the country has resumed including at the Tsutsumi Plant of Toyota Motor Corp. in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, and at Toyota Motor Kyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture, as well as the Sagamihara Plant of Central Motor Co., Ltd. (Central Motor) in Kanagawa Prefecture.
