Global vehicle manufacturers continue to extend the suspension of their manufacturing operations to contain the COVID-19 spread.
On Wednesday, Subaru announced the suspension of its Japanese operations in addition to extending the temporary closure of its US facilities. The announcement follows one made by Ford earlier this week about extending the suspension of its North American manufacturing facilities that were initially due to restart on April 6.
Subaru’s sole domestic, completed vehicle plant in Gunma Prefecture, Japan will close on April 11, 2020 with a restart date planned for May 10, the carmaker, whose Japanese production is expected to be reduced by 71,000 vehicles, announced.
Additionally, Subaru previously announced and stopped production of its US assembly plant in Lafayette, Indiana on March 23. The suspension was originally scheduled through April 6 but the company has extended it to April 20, 2020.
Subaru referenced supply chain disruptions and quickly declining global demand, due to COVID-19 impacts, for the new and extended production suspensions.
On March 31 Ford informed of a delay in restarting its North American plants. The company had initially projected it would restart on April 6 at its Hermosillo assembly plant in Sonora, Mexico and by April 14 at many of its other US facilities. However it postponed these startup dates and will provide a revised timeframe later, the company announced in a press release.
Other commercial Japanese automakers suspending production at their facilities include the Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus plants located in Kawasaki and Toyama, according to media reports.