Major Japanese automakers have taken drastic action against Russia due to the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. Toyota has already said it will halt exports to Russia and production in the country as Western sanctions against Moscow have hampered logistics and disrupted supply chains. “Toyota is observing ongoing developments in Ukraine with great concern for the safety of the Ukrainian people and hopes for a safe return to peace as soon as possible,” the company said in a statement.
Toyota is the main Japanese brand based in Russia, where it produces around 80,000 vehicles in the St. Petersburg plant, which employs 2,000 employees who will now most likely be out of work.
The announcement comes after local rivals Honda and Mazda confirmed plans to stop exports to Russia, citing similar difficulties in parts procurement and logistical obstacles.
Mitsubishi said it could suspend production and sales, while Nissan is the carmaker that currently holds the lowest profile, saying it will continue operations in the Putin-led country while monitoring the situation.
Japanese airlines, compared to car manufacturers, have other problems with Russia
Also from Japan comes the news that Japan Airlines and ANA Holdings have canceled all flights to and from Europe citing safety problems during the heavy fighting in Ukraine. The ANA Cargo website said the suspension of flights was due to “the high possibility that its planes would not be able to fly over Russia due to the current situation in Ukraine”.
Japanese airlines, which normally use Russian airspace for their flights to Europe, are joining an increasing number of carriers that canceled or redirected flights between Europe and North Asia as a result of the crisis.
It must be emphasized that the decision not to fly to Europe comes despite the fact that Japanese airlines have not been banned from Russian airspace, unlike the carriers of Canada, the United States and the European Union.