TOKYO: Suzuki Motor has declared that some of its factories in Japan will be partially shut down in June due to a global shortage of semiconductors that are affecting both Japanese and international automakers, according to local reports.
Three of the automaker’s plants in the prefecture on central Honshu’s Pacific coast will be shut down for up to nine days next month, according to the Shizuoka-based automaker.
Suzuki was forced to halt several activities at its plants in April and May due to a global chip shortage.
As a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic, demand for chips has greatly outstripped availability, resulting in a boom in consumer electronics transactions and consumption as more people work and research from home, as well as increased car sales.
Other Japanese automakers have been impacted by the shortage, though Suzuki officials have stated that they are in talks with vendors to ensure that their annual production is not adversely affected.
Due to the chip shortage, Toyota announced last week that it would briefly shut down two of its plants in Japan’s northeast. Toyota has announced that operations at a plant in Iwate will be suspended for up to eight days in June, while operations at its Ohira plant in Miyagi Prefecture will be suspended for three days.
According to Toyota, which has managed to keep its factories open despite the global chip shortage, the plants being shut down are expected to affect the production of up to 20,000 vehicles.
Meanwhile, Subaru has already halted manufacturing at a plant in Japan’s Gumma Prefecture for eight days and a factory in the United States for ten days.