Vehicles are seen burning after blasts at Binhai New District in Tianjin, China, Aug. 13, 2015. (Photo : REUTERS)
Toyota Motor Corp. has decided to suspend manufacturing operations from Monday to Wednesday in its manufacturing plants near the Chinese port of Tianjin, where a disaster last week killed more than 100 people and displaced many others.
The Tianjin blast on Aug. 12 came during holidays for Japanese carmakers, so there has not been a major impact on Toyota's production at its three productions lines near the disaster site, according to a statement Toyota made on Sunday.
"However, due to ongoing evacuation advisories, none of the three lines at Tianjin FAW Toyota Motor Co. Ltd. will be in operation from Aug. 17 through 19," Toyota's statement said.
Tianjin FAW Toyota produced 440,000 cars last year, including Crown, Reiz, Corolla and Vios models. It accounted for nearly half of Toyota's annual vehicle output in the country.
About 70 kilometers (44 miles) from the blast site, a plant in Xiqing depends on parts produced in Tianjin. The plant contains one of the three manufacturing lines that are not operational.
IHS Automative estimates Toyota's production losses at around 2,200 cars per day as a result of the Tianjin blasts.
Toyota's statement did not mention any additional information regarding damages or injuries that resulted from the Tianjin blasts. On Friday, it said that more than 50 employees sustained injuries from the explosions.
Automakers all over the world are trying to assess damages at China's largest entry point for imported cars.
Volkswagen AG said that around 2,700 of its imported cars were damaged, with most being rendered "unsellable," according to a spokesperson.
Mazda Motor Corp. said that it has adequate inventories for now, but there is concern regarding potential disruptions to the flow of components.
Other affected automakers include Aisin Seiki Co., Hyundai Motor Co., Renault SA, Ford Motor Co., Nissan Motor Co., Daimler and BMW.
Toyoda Gosei Co., Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. and Tokai Rika Co. reported through representatives that there was no damage to their facilities.
