Reforma, a local newspaper Mexico’s Jalisco state, writes today (via Reuters) that Honda may idle 1,100 employees at its factory there. Ruben Resendiz, spokesman fro Honda Mexico told the paper that closed airports and ports are affecting inventories. This stoppage would affect half of Honda’s employees at the plant.

Honda produces the CR-V sports utility vehicle there.

In the U.S., dealers are getting worried about parts and cars. Experts with J.D. Power and Associates speculate auto sales and parts’ availability could be impacted by late March or early April.

As the Mexican case shows, impact could be felt much earlier. Many high value parts and components are airfreighted, and it takes just one missing part to stop production.

Automotive News [sub] reports that two U.S. chipmakers that supply the auto industry report disruptions. Texas Instruments expects down sales in the first and second quarters. Freescale Semiconductor said its plant in Sendai has ceased operations. Sendai was ground zero of the tsunami.