Toyota, the world’s number one Japanese car brand, has announced a suspension of its manufacturing and import operations in Russia—that’s a total of 168 retail locations and a production plant in St. Petersburg that’s responsible for domestic RAV4 and Camry units. The brand’s 37 retail locations in Ukraine have also been closed for the time being.
This shutdown, however, appears to be due more to safety concerns and supply chain issues rather than a sanction or protest to Russia’s ongoing conflict with neighboring Ukraine.
In a carefully-worded statement, Toyota said it is concerned for the Ukrainian people and is hoping for an end to hostilities as soon as possible. The company followed this up saying its focus at the moment is the safety of its personnel.
ALSO READ:
FIA announces the cancellation of all motorsport activities in Russia and Belarus
“As a company with operations in Ukraine and Russia, our priority in dealing with this crisis is to ensure the safety of all our team members, retailer staff, and supply chain partners,” the company’s statement reads, later adding that the halt in operations is “due to supply chain disruptions.”
The brand also took the opportunity to assure everyone that its operations in the rest of Europe will remain unaffected.
Other carmakers that have halted imports and operations in Russia include Volvo, Honda, and Nissan. How long do you think it will take Russia’s auto industry to recover from this?
