Nissan Motor Co. said Thursday it is considering moving some engine production from Japan to the U.S. because of earthquake damage to its plant in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, another illustration of how seriously the Tohoku disaster has upended the global network of auto supplies.
Car factories could face serious shortages of Japanese parts by the middle of next month unless the domestic auto industry can quickly restart its shuttered production following the devastating earthquake and tsunami, experts said.
As stockpiles of parts from Japan run low in the coming weeks, some North American plants are bracing for shutdowns. Toyota Motor Corp. has warned workers it may idle operations.