Toyota will keep production at all of its Chinese facilities suspended through February 17 due to the coronavirus, Reuters reports.
The car manufacturer operates 12 vehicle and components factories in China that it owns with joint venture partners FAW Group and GAC Motor and in a statement said the production stoppage would be extended “after considering various factors, including guidelines from local and region governments, parts supply, and logistics.”
“For the week of Feb. 10, we will be preparing for the return to normal operation from Feb. 17 and beyond,” Toyota continued.
Speaking with CNN, however, a Toyota spokesperson added that due to circumstances out of its control, “we cannot definitively say whether we will restart plant operations from February 17.”
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Toyota had thought it could resume operations on February 10 as recently as Thursday last week.
There have been more than 40,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus with more than 908 deaths in China alone and these numbers continue to grow.
Toyota is far from the only carmaker impacted by the coronavirus. Both Hyundai and Kia have stopped production at their Chinese factories and plan to restart operations on February 17, more than a week later than the date of February 9 that was initially proposed.
The impacts are also being felt around the world. Suzuki says it is looking at the possibility of procuring some of the parts it typically sources from China from other regions. In addition, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles revealed late last week that it may have to close a European plant within two to four weeks if Chinese parts suppliers cannot soon get back to work.
