Akhir 21, 1432 H/March 26, 2011, SPA -- Ford says it will idle an auto plant in Belgium for five days, trying to conserve supplies of Japanese parts that could run low following an earthquake and tsunami, according to AP. Ford Motor Co. spokesman Todd Nissen says the plant in Genk will close beginning April 4. The company says it had planned to idle the plant in May but moved up the date after suppliers in Japan were damaged by the earthquake. Ford makes sedans and minivans in Genk. Nissen says there's no parts shortage yet at the plant. Japanese suppliers are a key source of auto parts for global car companies. But those parts aren't reaching foreign factories because of quake damage and power outages in Japan. That's interrupting auto production around the world, from Louisiana to Germany.
