Chip Shortage Pushes Japan's Subaru to Slash Output Target

A worldwide semiconductor shortage has forced Subaru Corp to cut its output target by nearly 10%, the Japanese automaker said on Wednesday.

Subaru said it now expects to produce 880,000 vehicles this fiscal year through March, down 9.3% from a previous forecast of 970,000 units.

The carmaker said the shortages were most acute among parts for immediate delivery in the spot market and it expected the lack of supply to last at most until around June before recovering.

Also on AF: India’s Adani Ponders Independent Review After Market Rout

“In the third quarter, we managed to keep the decline to about 20,000 units compared to our plans through our efforts,” Subaru’s chief financial officer Katsuyuki Mizuma said.

In the fourth quarter ending March 31, Subaru expects to make 70,000 fewer vehicles than previously planned, Mizuma said.

The company’s shares slipped following the release of the results, ending 1.9% lower at 2,118 yen compared to a flat broader market.

Subaru, in which Toyota owns a 20% stake, hopes to reach global production of 1 million vehicles next financial year, he said.

Chip Woes

After dialling back output following the outbreak of Covid-19, many automakers have been playing catch-up in terms of production, with chipmakers sending shipments to the consumer electronics industry.

Subaru on Wednesday lowered its annual global sales forecast by 5.4% to 870,000 vehicles from its previous forecast, though that still marked an 18.5% rise compared to the 2022 financial year.

Most of the expected decline in global sales is in the US market, where it sells two-thirds of its cars, including the popular Forester and Outback models.

The company kept its annual operating profit forecast unchanged at 300 billion yen ($2.29 billion), citing its efforts to control costs and boost efficiency from manufacturing through to sales, as well as exchange rate assumptions.