Mazda halts production of vehicles for Middle East

Mazda Motor has halted domestic production of vehicles intended for the Middle East. The move is due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The sources said growing inventories prompted the company to halt output for the Middle East in April and May. It will decide what to do from there based on the situation. Sources say total production in Japan will not be affected.

The company plans to increase output for Europe and other markets where demand is rising. Amid the Iran conflict, Toyota Motor cut production of vehicles for the Middle East in March by about 20,000 units. It will also slash 24,000 units in April. Nissan Motor reduced output by about 1,200 vehicles in March and will do roughly the same in April.