TOKYO (Reuters). Tokyo’s Toyota announced Tuesday that it expected to miss the annual 9,000,000 vehicle production target due to competition for semiconductors. This is because it doesn’t have enough resources to boost car production in order to make up production lost to last year’s pandemic.

Kazunari Kamakura, a senior executive from the largest car manufacturer in the world, stated that “hitting the 9million mark is going to prove extremely difficult.” Toyota couldn’t predict the length of the shortage, he said.

Toyota and other carmakers were forced to reduce production despite a rebound in demand from key markets like China. To address the chip shortages caused COVID-19 supply-chain disruptions and to meet rising semiconductor demand, automobile makers have also been forced to reduce production.

Kamakura indicated that Omicron infections were not a factor in the current production outlook. However, they are a concern for Toyota. Toyota’s business calendar runs from April to March.

Last year, COVID-19 lockeddown restrictions disrupted supply of components from Southeast Asian plants.

Corolla’s compact sedan maker said that it would build 770,000 cars worldwide in February. This is more than the previous year but only 150,000 less than what it originally planned.

Toyota must build 1,000,000 vehicles by March in order to reach the annual production goal of 9 million, which was set in September.