Toyota Motor lowers October output target by 6.3%

Toyota Motor lowers October output target by 6.3%
FILE PHOTO: The Toyota logo is seen at its booth during a media day for the Auto Shanghai show in Shanghai, China, April 19, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo

TOKYO :Toyota Motor Corp on Friday lowered its October production target by 6.3 per cent to about 750,000 vehicles because of a shortage of semiconductors.

The announcement comes about a week after the world’s largest automaker by sales released its production target of about 800,000 vehicles globally for the next month, deepening worries that the chip shortage will continue to stymie production in the second half of the financial year to March 31.

The Japanese automaker, however, on Friday said that its 9.7 million vehicle production target for the current financial year has not changed.

The company also said it will suspend production at some production lines in Japan for up to 10 days.

Toyota said on Thursday that its global vehicle output jumped by 44.3 per cent year on year in August – the first increase since March – as the sector recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic and production capacity increased.

But it said the outlook remains uncertain owing to the global chip shortage and continuing COVID-19 outbreaks.

Toyota rival Honda Motor Co last week said it would reduce car output by up to 40 per cent at two Japanese plants in early October because of ongoing supply chain and logistical problems.

 

Source: Reuters