SHANGHAI (AP) – Foreign companies have suspended operations around the Tianjin port as officials scramble to contain the toxic fallout of last week’s deadly chemical explosions, which dealt a blow to northern China’s emerging economic hub.
Toyota, which has operations near the blast evacuation zone, said it had suspended three production lines, which account for over half of its China capacity, through Wednesday.
Thousands of Volkswagen, Toyota, Hyundai and Renault cars, most of them pricey imports, parked on lots near the blast were decimated.
The operations of Panasonic, logistics company Singamas Container Holdings and, reportedly, Deere & Co. have also been disrupted.
The list of name-brand companies impacted by the blast is a testament to Tianjin’s rise, but regulatory and safety lapses at the hazardous goods warehouses that exploded draw attention to the sometimes shaky infrastructure China has laid down as it pursues ultra-fast growth.