Tokyo, Feb 7 (EFE).- Japanese firms in China have taken a hit from the coronavirus outbreak, forcing some of them to seek alternatives after interruptions in supply chain and production machinery.

So far, no accurate figures are known on the losses and but there are indications that the results of the industry giants such as Toyota and Nissan will suffer.

Major groups of Japan's automobile industry have announced delays in re-opening of their production facilities after New Year festivities in China.

Toyota Motor on Friday said it would keep its four auto-assembly plants and eight component factories in China closed for at least another week and take further decision on the re-opening next week.

The plants were initially closed for the Chinese New Year. But in late January, the automobile giant said it would delay the resumption of its operations before reviewing the situation.

The hurdle not only lies in the closure of some plants in China, but the problems in the procurement of auto parts have abounded with supply chain stoppages.

Toyota Operating Officer Masayoshi Shirayanagi on Thursday said the company was evaluating the possibility for alternative production plans.

A Nissan spokesperson told EFE on Friday that the company was considering resuming its operations in China after Feb.10 and would begin production in the Hubei province, including in Wuhan, the epicenter of the epidemic, from Feb.14 onwards.

The spokesperson said operations would be resumed keeping in mind the governmental directives and the epidemic situation.

Honda, which registered a record production of automobiles in China last year, has taken similar measures and delayed re-opening of its plant in Wuhan until February end.

Clothing and accessory chain Uniqlo and Muji have closed half of its stores in China, partially due to production issues.

The concerns have also hit the cosmetics sector. Cosmetic products are most sought after by millions of Chinese tourists who come to Japan every year. In 2019, some 8.4 million tourists had come.

Shiseido, one of the popular brands in China as wells as in Japan, on Thursday said its sales dropped 55 percent during the new year celebrations as compared to the year before.

The outbreak has had a major impact on tourism in Japan as Chinese tourists make up the largest number of visitors in the country.

The exact figure of tourists that arrived in January is not yet known although unofficial statistics indicate that there could have been a drop of nearly 40 percent.

Since January end, major Japanese Airline ANA announced the suspension of its flights to Wuhan, although it kept its routes to other Chinese cities operational.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday said Tokyo would announce next week a series of measures to contain the economic impact.

Abe said Japan would carry out measures for possible cases keeping the impact on the local economies in mind.

The analysis done by Japan compares the effects of the current coronavirus outbreak with the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic that had severely impacted China and claimed more than 600 lives across the world. EFE

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