TOKYO: Toyota said Friday it expects global production to ramp up again by mid-year and return to normal by the end of 2011 after Japan's quake-tsunami disaster caused auto parts shortages.
Many key component manufacturers in Japan are based in the worst-hit north-eastern regions, where facilities were damaged by the 9.0-magnitude earthquake on March 11 or inundated by the giant wave that followed.
Toyota has announced production disruptions domestically and in the United States, European Union, China and Australia because of the crisis, temporarily shutting some plants or running them at half-capacity or less.
The auto maker said in a statement that "global production will begin to ramp up as soon as July in Japan and August in North America, with all models back to normal production by November or December 2011".
"To all the customers who made the decision to buy a vehicle made by us, I sincerely apologise for the enormous delay in delivery," said Toyota president Akio Toyoda at a press conference in Japan.
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