It's Starting: Honda Said To Suspend 1,100 Workers In Mexico Due To Japanese Quake

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Reforma, a local newspaper Mexico’s Jalisco state, writes today ( via Reuters) that Honda may idle 1,100 employees at its factory there. Ruben Resendiz, spokesman fro Honda Mexico told the paper that closed airports and ports are affecting inventories. This stoppage would affect half of Honda’s employees at the plant.

Honda produces the CR-V sports utility vehicle there.

In the U.S., dealers are getting worried about parts and cars. Experts with J.D. Power and Associates speculate auto sales and parts’ availability could be impacted by late March or early April.

As the Mexican case shows, impact could be felt much earlier. Many high value parts and components are airfreighted, and it takes just one missing part to stop production.

Automotive News [sub] reports that two U.S. chipmakers that supply the auto industry report disruptions. Texas Instruments expects down sales in the first and second quarters. Freescale Semiconductor said its plant in Sendai has ceased operations. Sendai was ground zero of the tsunami.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • APaGttH APaGttH on Mar 17, 2011

    So Honda has announced they are sending all their US employees back home to the United States. Are we going to see a "cowards" story about Honda and United States employees now?

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