Canon Shuts Down 5 Factories Due to Supply Issues Caused by Coronavirus

According to a multiple reports out of Japan, Canon has announced that it will be temporarily closing five of its factories due to supply shortages caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. The shutdown is scheduled to last approximately two weeks.

The reports don’t go into great detail, but according to Nikkei the shutdown will affect five facilities based in the Oita, Miyazaki and Nagasaki prefectures, which are scheduled to go dark from March 2nd through March 13th “due to the influence of the new coronavirus” on the supply of parts from China, though the report is also quick to note that “there are no infected employees at this time.”

The affected facilities are responsible for the production of SLR cameras, interchangeable lenses, and security cameras, so we do expect this shutdown—and any that follow—to have a real-world impact the delivery of Canon camera equipment, not just Canon’s overall bottom line.

We’ve reached out to Canon USA for confirmation or comment on these reports, and will update the article if and when we hear back with any concrete details.

(via DPReview)


Image credits: Photo by Rafael Leão, CC0

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