Islamabad, June 5, 2025: Suzuki Motor (7269.T) has temporarily halted the production of its Swift vehicle due to China’s export restrictions on rare earth materials, according to sources. This makes Suzuki, the first Japanese carmaker to be directly impacted by these restrictions.
The automaker had earlier revealed its plan to suspend manufacturing of the Swift subcompact model — excluding the Swift Sport variant — from May 26 to June 6, attributing the pause to a lack of essential parts.
Suzuki did not offer further explanation at the time, and a company spokesperson declined to comment on the cause of the disruption, which was initially disclosed by Japan’s Nikkei business publication.
In an updated statement released Thursday, the company said it would restart partial production of Swift cars at its Sagara facility on June 13, with full operations expected to resume after June 16, now that the outlook for component availability has improved.
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Beijing’s move in April to restrict exports of various rare earth elements and magnetic materials has disrupted global supply chains that are vital to industries such as automotive manufacturing, aviation, semiconductors, and defense.
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Several European auto component factories have already halted production, and Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) is reportedly exploring options to shield itself from potential rare earth shortages.
The automaker had earlier revealed its plan to suspend manufacturing of the Swift subcompact model, excluding the Swift Sport variant from May 26 to June 6.
