China News Service, March 23. According to Kyodo News, Japan’s semiconductor giant Renesas Electronics’ Naka factory fired part of the production suspension, and various automakers using the company’s products stepped up to confirm the impact on the 22nd.

Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities estimates that the lack of semiconductors from 2020 and the fire will result in a total of 1.65 million domestic auto giants reducing production in the first half of 2021.

The picture shows a Toyota car in the exhibition.

Han Shengbao

　　According to reports, the estimated specific reductions in production are 650,000 Toyota, 290,000 Honda, and 270,000 Nissan.

The securities company's senior analyst Koichi Sugimoto pointed out that "in a situation where production cuts are inevitable."

　　Toyota stated that it is "under investigation" on the impact of the fire.

Honda said: "If the suspension of production is prolonged, it may have an impact." Due to the lack of semiconductors, Honda just lowered its four-wheeler sales forecast for the 2020 fiscal year (April 2020 to March 2021) by 100,000 .

　　Nomura Securities believes that due to the stagnation of Renesas shipments, the domestic auto giant's global production may be reduced by 1.2 million vehicles (including 400,000 domestic vehicles) from April to June.

　　Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu said at a press conference on the 22nd that in view of the suspension of production at the Naka factory, "support for the procurement of alternative manufacturing equipment, etc., will make concrete efforts for an early recovery."

In consideration of the expansion of the domestic production system, he emphasized that "the strengthening of countermeasures such as strengthening the supply chain (purchasing and supply network) will also be discussed."

　　Semiconductors have surged in demand due to the popularity of fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication systems and electric vehicles (EV).

A fire in Asahi Kasei’s semiconductor plant in Nobuoka City, Miyazaki Prefecture in October 2020 and the cold wave in the United States in February also had an impact. The cross-industry global competition has intensified.

　　It is said that Renesas has the largest market share in the field of microcontrollers that control car driving.

During the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, the Naka plant stopped production, and the auto giant was forced to cut production on a large scale.

Toyota has increased its semiconductor inventory after the earthquake, and will usually prepare enough for 1 to 4 months.

Other companies have also upgraded their disaster countermeasures, but production cuts are likely to be unavoidable.