A pandemic-driven parts crunch is forcing Toyota to cut production by 40 percent in assembly plants in Japan and by as much as 60 percent in North America. Japan’s top automaker said in an Aug. 19 factory operation notice that it would be slashing production by around 40 percent across 14 plants in Japan, while a company representative told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement that it plans cuts of between 40 and 60 percent at most of its North American plants. In both cases, the company blamed the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus for disrupting parts supplies. “Due to COVID-19 and unexpected events with our supply chain, Toyota is experiencing additional shortages that will affect production at most of our North American plants,” the representative told The Epoch Times, adding that, “while the situation remains fluid and complex, our manufacturing and supply chain teams have worked diligently …