TOKYO: Toyota Motor Corp. said Friday that it will reduce its global vehicle production in November by 100,000-150,000 units from the earlier planned level of around one million units.

The reduction reflects difficulties in procuring parts due to the spread of the novel coronavirus in Southeast Asia and semiconductor shortages.

The leading Japanese automaker aims to recover from its large production cuts in September and October, but parts shortages are still weighing on Toyota’s vehicle production.

Meanwhile, Toyota kept its planned worldwide vehicle production for fiscal 2021 through next March at around nine million units.

In November this year, Toyota plans to reduce production by 50,000 units in Japan and 50,000-100,000 units abroad.

This will lower the company’s November global automobile production to 850,000-900,000 units. But the level is still higher than the year-before result of 830,000 units, a record high.

In September and October, global monthly production plunged to 500,000-600,000 units.

“We’re out of the worst period,” senior procurement official Kazunari Kumakura said in an online briefing.

Toyota maintained its fiscal 2021 plan as the total of its production cuts in September and October is projected to be 100,000-150,000 units less than the initially announced 760,000 units.

But COVID-19 infection trends may cause supply shortages to last longer, which would affect the fiscal 2021 plan.

For the November production cut, Toyota will suspend operations at six lines in four domestic plants. Among them, Toyota Motor East Japan Inc.’s plant in Kanegasaki, Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, will halt a production line for the Aqua and the C-HR for five days.

JIJI Press