The comment comes after the automaker said a parts shortages would cost it 14,000 vehicles in lost production in December.

The quake triggered a tsunami, caused blackouts as far away as Tokyo, derailed the country's famed bullet train and buckled highways that serve as critical supply arteries.

Mazda will suspend production at its two domestic factories for two days in April as factors including a rise in COVID-19 cases in China cause supply disruptions.

Any long-term interruption at the chipmaker could broadside a global automotive industry already reeling from a worldwide semiconductor shortage that has hammered production and sales. Renesas is assessing the impact on equipment and products, as well as the safety of the facilities and the condition of clean rooms.

The automaker this month will suspend output at all but one plant in North America — putting more pressure on dealers with historically low inventories.

For 2022, the IHS Markit light-vehicle production forecast was cut by 9.3 percent, or about 8.4 million vehicles.