Just-In-Time - AIN'T - Toyota to Ship Parts from Asia by Air Amid Shutdown of West Coast Ports

DETROIT October 7, 2002-- Toyota Motor Corp. will likely soon start shipping components from Asia by air in an effort to keep its manufacturing facilities in North America undisturbed by the West Coast port shutdown.

Toyota spokesman Dan Sieger said the company will make a final decision on the issue "sometime this week."

All of Toyota manufacturing facilities in North America are "up and running" Monday, Mr. Sieger said. "But everything is on a day-to-day basis this week," he said.

Toyota has eliminated overtime work at many of its facilities to deal with the parts scarcity caused by the port lockout.

Mr. Sieger said some 25% of components used to build Toyota vehicles that are produced in Kentucky, Indiana and Ontario come from Asia, primarily from Japan.

Among those components that are likely to be brought into North America by air are electronic components, V8 engines for the full-size Toyota Tundra pickup truck and the Toyota Sequoia sport-utility vehicle, some air bags, and specialty high-performance engines for the Toyota Matrix hatchback.