Toyota to restart limited production

Toyota to restart limited production    Toyota Motor Corp. said Friday it would begin production at Japanese plants between April 18 and April 27, but only at half the normal level.
   Many Japanese companies were forced to shut down following the devastating earthquake last month because of power outages and difficulties getting components from suppliers. The disaster has also disrupted some global supply chains that depend on parts from Japan.
   The automaker said factories will suspend operations for the annual spring holiday through May 10. A decision on post-holiday production will be made after assessing the parts supply situation.
   Toyota resumed production on March 28 at its Tsutsumi plant in Aichi prefecture at the Kyushu facility in Fukuoka prefecture, as well as a planned production restart on April 11 at Central Motor Co. Ltd.'s Sagamihra plant in Kanagawa.
   In a separate statement earlier this week, Toyota Motor Sales USA said, 'We continue to assess our supply base in Japan following the earthquake and tsunami. We have communicated to team members, associates and dealers here that some production interruptions in North America are likely. It's too early to predict location or duration.'
   The company said most of the parts for vehicles built in North America come from about 500 suppliers on the continent. 'We continue to receive parts from Japan that were already in the pipeline, limiting the immediate impact. We will continue to work closely with supplies in North America and Japan to minimize any disruptions to Toyota's overall North American operations.'