The UAE’s Toyota franchise on Tuesday said it didn’t see any immediate supply issues despite news that the Japanese car giant had decided to stop production for three days in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami.
Simon Frith, managing director, Al-Futtaim Motors said in a statement that Toyota would not resume car production until Thursday as they were placing “priority on supporting the relief efforts in the regions affected and ensuring employees, including those from subsidiary manufacturers and their respective family members are safe”.
The three day closure is also in response to the government request for major corporations to reduce their electricity consumption, Firth added.
He said he was confident that inventory levels at Al-Futtaim Motors would ensure there is “little impact on our UAE customers”.
“The majority of Toyota vehicles sold in the UAE are manufactured outside of Japan and our shipments have not been affected…We foresee no immediate issues with the supply chain and are confident there will be minimal inconvenience to our customers and genuine parts suppliers,” Frith said.
He added: “Our first concern is not of an economic nature, but for our colleagues and their families in Japan. We have already passed on our thoughts and best wishes and offered all the support we can.”
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