Toyota to resume production at two Brazilian plants after weather disruption

SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Japanese carmaker Toyota is set to resume vehicle production at two Brazilian plants, both in Sao Paulo state, starting November 3, after damages and disruptions from heavy rain and winds halted operations last month, the company said on Friday. In a statement, Toyota added it still has no forecast for resuming operations at its Porto Feliz plant, as the firm is still assessing the destruction caused by the weather conditions. Last week, a heavy storm provoked heavy damages at the Porto Feliz facility, which supplies engines to other facilities in the region. Images showed the site without a roof and sections of the ceiling collapsed onto equipment. The shutdown at Porto Feliz forced Toyota to halt production at its Indaiatuba and Sorocaba plants, which assemble models including Yaris, Corolla and Corolla Cross. On Friday, Toyota said production at both plants would resume with imported engines and other parts from units abroad. The firm also released a timeline to offset the delay in production, adding it will initially resume assembly for the hybrid Corolla and Corolla Cross models. The disruption also led Toyota to postpone the launch of its Yaris Cross model for the local market, which had been scheduled for Oct. 16. The company said on Friday it has not set a new date for the launch. (Reporting by Andre Romani; Writing by Fernando Cardoso; Editing by Kylie Madry)

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