Tamron Extends Closure of Two Key Factories Due to Decreased Demand

Tamron Japan has issued a statement explaining that it will be extending the closure of two key factories through the end of 2020 because “the global market has not yet recovered” from the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and demand is still depressed.

“Tamron Co., Ltd. took some measures to close its factories in the Aomori Prefecture between May and September in light of the decrease in global demand due to the worldwide spread of the novel coronavirus,” reads the Google translated statement, which we’ve edited for clarity. “However, the global market has not yet recovered, and in consideration of the uncertainty of the future market environment, we will extend the partial closure or two out of three factories until the end of the year.”

Tamron has three domestic factories in the Aomori Prefecture of Japan: the Namioka plant, the Owani plant, and the Hirosaki plant. Tamron calls these its “mother plants,” and each is equipped to handle a major piece of the manufacturing process—lens elements are produced at the Namioka plant, plastic components at the Owani plant, and metal processing, assembly, and repairs are taken care of at the Hirosaki plant.

The two factories affected by this closure are Namioka and Hirosaki, both of which were supposed to open back up on October 1st, but will now be closed through the end of 2020. As Tamron explains, this won’t completely shut down production, but it could slow things down and lead to delays.

“Although the business will continue during this period, it may cause inconvenience to our customers and business partners,” concludes the official statement. “We appreciate your understanding.”

(via 43 Rumors)