Toyota to end North American production cut

Toyota Motor says production levels at its North American plants will return to normal next week.

With floods in Thailand hampering auto parts production, employees of Toyota's North American plants have not been working overtime or on holidays since late October.

Toyota now says prospects for delayed auto parts deliveries have been removed.

Working hours at 6 North American plants will return to usual next week. Operations will continue on Saturday, November 19th, at 2 plants -- one in the US state of Indiana, and another in Canada.

But Toyota says it has not decided on future production levels in North America, and will monitor the situation of auto parts deliveries.

Toyota had to reduce output in North America after the March disaster in northeastern Japan halted supplies of auto parts, causing sales to slump.

Fellow Japanese automaker Honda says production cutbacks will stay in place until November 23rd in the US and the 15th in Canada.

Thursday, November 10, 2011 13:04 +0900 (JST)