Subaru Plant in Gunma, Japan resumes production after Typhoon Hagibis

MANILA: Subaru Corp said on Friday, October 25th, 2019, that it had resumed operations in its assembly plant after suspending operations due to Typhoon Hagibis.

The Subaru plant located in Ota, Gunma Prefecture, eastern Japan suspended its operation starting October 16th after floodwater from Typhoon Hagibis wreak havoc in the country. On the other hand, the Gunma plant, Yajima plant (for finished vehicles), and Oizumi plant (engine and transmission plant) suffered no major damages. However, the widespread flooding damaged some of the Japanese automaker’s key suppliers.

Subaru suspended car production in Japan in anticipation of supply shortages of parts as the impact of Typhoon Hagibis on suppliers and logistics infrastructure were assessed. Prior to that, Subaru already shortened its operating hours for workers’ safety when the typhoon landed in Japan on October 12th. The Subaru plant even resumed to its normal operations come October 14th before the suspension took place.

Now, the company announces that the plant reopened on October 25th and had resumed production of the new 2020 Forester SUV, Crosstrek compact SUV, sport-tuned WRX, performance-tuned WRX STI, and BRZ sports coupe. However, the closure would impact not just production but also the company’s bottom line—which is currently under scrutiny.

For one, the production of an estimated 10,000 units of 4WD vehicles was delayed due to the suspension. This means delays in shipment of in-demand models that are already is in short supply like the Forester and many Crosstrek variants as these lines of vehicles recently released new-generation models. However, Subaru is optimistic that by resuming operations, it will still be able to meet its deliverables on time for the October and November shipments. At the same time, the company extends its condolences to those severely affected by Typhoon Hagibis.

Besides widespread flooding and landslides, the typhoon has claimed the lives of at least 73 people in Japan and caused millions in damages to properties and infrastructures.

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