Honda halts Swindon car production for second time in a month due to supply chain disruption
Honda this afternoon said that it would halt production at its plant in Swindon due to supply chain disruption – the second time it has done so in a month.
In a statement, the carmaker said that production would stop today and tomorrow, with a view to starting again on Thursday.
It said that the disruption was a result of “global supply issues delays”.
Honda, which builds its Civic model at the Swindon site, was one of many companies hit by massive disruption in the build-up to Christmas.
The combination of stockpiling, pandemic disruption, and Christmas demand left trade flows in tatters, with some cargo ships electing to avoid the UK altogether.
As with many car companies, the Japanese automaker operates a just-in-time supply chain model, meaning that they often keep low stocks of spare parts.
Due to the pre-Christmas disruption, a number of car firms, such as Bentley, took stops to build out their stockpiles, with many fearing that the introduction of a new customs regime in January would add to disruption.
However, any disruption has thus far been limited. A spokesperson for the Port of Dover said that traffic was running smoothly today, as it had been since the transition.
Honda declined to comment on what was causing the disruption.