Japan’s government and its car industry have set up a joint task force to deal with the coronavirus, CNBC reported on February 21, 2020, citing a statement the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry issued the day before, a Thursday.
The group is called the “New Coronavirus Countermeasures Automobile Council.” According to the announcement, it will bring together automakers, parts suppliers and government officials. The ministry said its immediate priorities are sharing information, getting a clear picture of the situation and studying countermeasures.
The stated purpose is preparation. “Automakers, component manufacturers, and the government work together to ensure rapid response to the information on the industry, with a view to ensuring that measures can be taken to prepare for the possible impact of the new coronavirus on the automotive supply chain in the future,” the government said.
Plants dark in China
The trouble was already visible. CNBC reported that the outbreak had extended holiday shutdowns at auto plants in China, including those run by Japanese manufacturers. Some had tried to restart while others stayed shut. The authorities in Hubei province, which includes Wuhan, the city believed to be the epicentre of the disease, had asked firms not to resume work before March 11. The virus had by then grown to more than 75,700 cases, including 2,130 deaths.
The effects had begun to reach Japan itself. Nissan Motor had to close some of its operations at home on February 14 and February 17 because parts were in short supply. Toyota Motor and Honda Motor, by contrast, had not been hit by parts shortages in Japan as of earlier that week, CNBC said.
No target date for the council’s first findings was given in the report. For now the ministry has said only that the group exists, who sits on it, and what it is meant to do first.
