Japanese car manufacturer Daihatsu resumed operations at Kyushu and Osaka on 6 May and 7 May respectively, marking the full reopening of its domestic plants.
Daihatsu produces around 400,000 units/yr and 6,000 units/yr at Kyushu in south Japan and Osaka in west Japan respectively, according to a company representative that spoke to Argus. Combined production at these two plants accounts for around half of its total domestic output. It suspended all its operations in December 2023 after it was accused of tampering with safety test results.
Daihatsu partially resumed operations in February and March but the Kyushu and Osaka plants remained closed.
The company's March output fell by 65.8pc from a year earlier to 30,453 units, although it recovered from 6,692 units and none in February and January respectively.
The country's overall industrial production index increased by 3.8pc from the previous month, according to the ministry of trade and industry last week, mostly driven by a production recovery of passenger vehicles.
