Nissan spokesman, Mitsuru Yonekawa, has explained how Japan's third-largest car maker is expecting to lose the production of 2,000 vehicles a day from tomorrow, due to a shortage of tyre pressure sensors that the company ships from Ireland.

The required parts are used in Nissan's Cube, Murano and Rogue vehicles, which are intended to target the US market, he said.

One of the parts is essential in cars that run on US roads, as it raises an alarm if it senses abnormal air pressure, according to the company official.

There are other models, however, including the Note minicar, X-Trail SUV and Dualis hatchback, which do not require the component, but which will nevertheless be affected by the suspension of operations.

It is as yet undecided when the company will resume production.

European airspace remains largely off limits due to the cloud of ash, which was created by the eruption of an Icelandic volcano last week.

Meanwhile, German luxury automaker BMW is reported be stopping production at several sites, as a result of a delay in the arrival of spare parts.

The Munich-based firm said that three German factories were affected by the current turmoil in European airspace.

Production is expected to cease at Dingolfing, just 100km north east of Munich, later today.

It is also expected that production will stop at Munich and Regensburg tomorrow and Thursday, respectively.

A spokesman said this would mean that around 7,000 fewer vehicles would be made than normal. Foreign production and deliveries to customers, however, remained unaffected.

The Irish Exporters' Association has said that €95m worth of exports were being held up every day by the continuing air restrictions.

IEA chief executive John Whelan said exporters were hiring trucks to take goods to southern Europe where airports are still open.

However, he added that valuable exports to the US and Asia were being seriously disrupted.

(LB/GK)