Toyota to idle Mexican car plant for five days

MEXICO CITY, Jan 29, 2009; Mica Rosenberg writing for Reuters reported that Toyota's car manufacturing plant in northern Mexico will sit idle for five days in February, responding to falling demand from consumers hit by the widening global financial crisis, the company said on Thursday.

Toyota Motor Corp, the world's No. 1 carmaker, is suffering along with other auto companies that are facing their toughest business environment in decades as credit tightens and consumer confidence wanes.

"In response to slowing North American demand in recent months, Toyota Motor Manufacturing de Baja California will implement five non-production days during the month of February," Toyota said in a statement.

The factory's 760 employees in the city of Tijuana on the U.S.-Mexico border will still go to work during the shut down but will receive training or do maintenance instead of making cars, the statement said.

Toyota is likely to post an operating loss above its latest forecast, which could be as high as 400 billion yen ($4.46 billion) for the year to March, according to a report in the Nikkei business daily.

The car giant, along with smaller rivals, has already idled factories, slowed assembly lines and delayed manufacturing projects in key markets like the United States.

Editing for Reuters by Leslie Gevirtz