Toyota suspends output in France, Portugal and Philippines

TOKYO – Toyota Motor Corp. has suspended production in France, Portugal and the Philippines because of the novel coronavirus outbreak, in new work stoppages that affect such nameplates as the Yaris and Land Cruiser. The shutdowns do not affect vehicles exported to the U.S.

Toyota will suspend operations of all three shifts at its plant in France, which makes the Toyota Yaris and Yaris hybrid small car, from March 18-31, Japan’s biggest automaker said on Tuesday. 

The Portugal plant, which makes the older generation Toyota Land Cruiser 70 SUV, was closed for two weeks from March 16.

Meanwhile, the Philippines plant will be down from March 17 until an unspecified time in mid-April. That factory makes the Vios, a sedan version of the Yaris, and the Innova compact MPV. 

Toyota said it was suspending output at the facilities in line with government guidelines in those countries that are aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus. 

It also said that its Tianjin plant in China will continue operating on only a single shift. The factory, a joint venture with that country’s FAW, normally operates on double shifts and makes the Corolla, Crown and Avalon sedans, among other nameplates.

Toyota said its three other plants in China have resumed normal production following earlier suspensions in that country. The company’s plants in Japan are also operating normally, it said.

Japanese rivals Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co., by contrast, are slowing production of some lines in Japan to adjust for supply chain problems. Neither company would give details about what vehicles or factories are affected or how much output is being dialed back. Subaru Corp. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. reported no major interruptions at their Japanese plants.