Toyota sales fall for fourth month in May as declines in China, US and Middle East weigh

TOKYO, (Reuters) – Toyota Motor said on Monday that global vehicle sales ​slipped for a fourth consecutive ‌month in May, as decreases in China and the Middle East weighed ​on overall results.

  • Global sales ​dropped 7.2% year-on-year to 834,279 vehicles, ⁠Toyota said in a release. ​Overseas sales fell 9.6%, while ​those in Japan rose 11.1%, helped by strong demand for models such as ​RAV4 and bZ4X.
  • By region, sales ​in China plunged 31.7% amid tough market ‌conditions, ⁠partly due to rising petrol prices, while those in the Middle East slumped 38.6%. In the ​U.S., Toyota’s ​top market, ⁠they edged down 0.6%.
  • Global production declined 5.5% from ​a year earlier, as ​a ⁠3.8% drop in the U.S. and a 13.3% decrease in Asia ⁠offset ​a rise in Japan.
  • Toyota’s ​figures include its luxury brand, Lexus.

Reporting by ​Daniel Leussink; Editing by Rashmi Aich