Lessons from 2011 disaster help Toyota ride out chip shortage

The global microchip shortage dragging on the auto industry has put barely a dent in production at Toyota, the world’s biggest automaker, thanks to lessons it learned after Japan’s 2011 tsunami disaster.

While the latest crisis caused by skyrocketing demand for semiconductors has forced global carmakers to revise production plans, Toyota exceeded its sales targets this year and expects to sell even more units in the next 12 months.

Its success lies in part, experts say, in its decision to prepare extensively for disruptions after the experience of Japan’s devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis 10 years ago.

The catastrophe left parts of Japan’s industry on its knees for months, especially vehicle makers, whose domestic supply chains were thrown into turmoil.