TOKYO, (Reuters) – Toyota Motor said on Friday its global vehicle sales and production fell in July, weighed by declines in China, the United States and the Middle East, which offset a stronger performance in Japan.
- Global sales fell 4.8% from a year earlier to 856,125 vehicles, while production dropped 2.1%.
- A 24.3% plunge in China dragged sales down, marking a sixth successive month of decline, as higher petrol prices weighed on demand for hybrid and traditional combustion engine vehicles, Toyota said.
- Sales in the United States, Toyota’s largest market, slipped 0.8%, while those in the Middle East dropped 44.5%, offsetting an 11.0% rise in Japan.
- A sharp 32.7% drop in China and a 4.0% decrease in the United States pulled production down, despite a 12.4% rise in Japan.
- Exports from Japan rose 10.2% from a year earlier to just over 196,000 vehicles, increasing for the third consecutive month and marking the highest level since October.
- Toyota’s figures include its luxury Lexus brand.
Reporting by Daniel Leussink; Editing by Janane Venkatraman
