Editor
TOKYO — It was the spring of 2021, and demand for new cars was spiking. But, as consumers, flush with savings amassed during the pandemic, rushed to dealerships around the world, one Japanese automaker after another idled production as they waited for imports of a critical component: semiconductors.
Coronavirus outbreaks had shut down chip plants, and an unanticipated surge in demand for electronics from people riding out the pandemic at…
