ARI SHAPIRO, host: NPR's business news starts with Toyota skidding to a halt.</s>ARI SHAPIRO, host: U.S. auto sales had a dismal month, and now Japan's leading carmaker announced it's freezing production at all of its Japanese factories for 11 days over the next two months. This is on top of a 3-day shutdown at Japanese factories this month. The last time Toyota announced a sweeping production halt was in 1993, and that was for only one day. The recession is hitting Toyota harder than top management expected. The company sales in the U.S. fell 37 percent last month. That's worse than General Motors or Ford. Now many of the Japanese-made cars that Toyota exports to the U.S. are not even making it out of the ports.
Japan's leading carmaker announced it would freeze production at all its Japanese factories for 11 days over February and March. This is on top of a three-day shutdown at Japanese factories in January. The last time Toyota Motor Corp. announced a sweeping production halt was in 1993 — and that was for one day only. The recession is hitting Toyota harder than top management expected.