Toyota starts assembling cars again

Toyota said on Monday that it has resumed operations at all transport assembly plants in Japan after a six-day downtime and intends to maintain its role as a global leader in vehicle manufacturing.

The world's largest automaker said earlier this month that it is forced to temporarily halt all domestic car production from Feb.8-13 due to component shortages following an explosion at its partner and supplier Aichi Steel's plant.

Initially, Toyota announced a one-day shutdown on February 8, but later decided to extend it to February 13. "Toyota confirms that production has resumed today on schedule," the company said in a statement Monday.

Vehicle assembly resumed on Monday as components and parts were sourced from other steelmakers as well as other Aichi Steel production lines, company spokesman Kayo Doi said.

Earlier this month, Toyota clarified that the six-day suspension of domestic production will be the longest, after a ten-day shutdown following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan.

In 2016, the company's goal is to produce 10,196,000 vehicles worldwide, of which 4,134,000 are to be made domestically. Those plans will not be affected as the company will "ramp up holiday operations" to catch up with the target, Doi said.

Toyota said it was producing 14,000 units per day in 2015. The company, which surpassed Volkswagen in 2015, plans to retain its title as the world's best-selling car manufacturer, with more than 4 million produced in Japan last year and more than 10 million worldwide.

Aichi Steel, which produces high-quality steel, is set to return to full service in March after an explosion on January 8 that damaged part of its production site.