LONDON: Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday it will stop vehicle production at its plant in St. Petersburg, Russia, starting Friday.

The Japanese automaker added that Toyota Motor Russia has stopped imports of vehicles.

Those steps will remain in place until further notice due to supply chain disruptions, Toyota said, apparently referring to the impact of Western sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

It has become clear that the Ukrainian crisis is already having a negative impact on the production systems of Japanese automakers.

Toyota is “monitoring global developments and will make necessary decisions as required,” the company said in a statement.

Toyota’s plant in Russia started production in 2007. The plant makes the RAV4 SUV and the Camry sedan mainly for the Russian market. Last year, the plant produced some 80,000 vehicles.

In 2021, Toyota sold about 120,000 vehicles in Russia. Toyota’s sales in the country are likely to drop this year due to the shipment suspension.

As for other automakers, Ford Motor Co. of the United States said it will suspend its joint venture operations in Russia. General Motors Co., another US auto giant, and Japanese automaker Honda Motor Co. have also stopped exporting products to Russia.

JIJI Press