Toyota Motor Corp said Monday its global output sank 3.9 percent in February from a year earlier to 749,673 vehicles, declining for the fourth consecutive month, weighed down by slowing production in China and Japan.
Global sales dropped 3.3 percent to 737,134 units, the first fall in three months, according to the world’s largest automaker by volume.
Toyota’s overseas production slid 4.6 percent to 470,757 vehicles, with output in China plunging 11.5 percent to 78,457 units due to intensifying competition and fewer working days during the Lunar New Year holidays.
Domestic production decreased 2.6 percent to 278,916 vehicles due largely to fewer operating days than a year earlier, while output in North America slumped 9.1 percent to 159,237 units, with production in Canada down 46.2 percent to 23,173 units due to a cut ahead of an update of the RAV4 sport utility model.
Output in the United States alone, meanwhile, rose 3.4 percent to 110,978 vehicles, helped by solid demand for hybrid vehicles.
Although Toyota’s overseas sales fell 2.2 percent to 614,870 vehicles, sales in the United States grew 3.2 percent to 180,950 units.
Sales in Japan dipped 8.3 percent to 122,264 units, dragged down by a decline in registrations ahead of the abolition of the environmental performance tax at the end of March, while sales in China dropped 13.9 percent to 82,471 vehicles.
Global production by Japan’s eight major carmakers, including Toyota, in February declined 1.4 percent from a year earlier to 1,943,619 units.
Output by Honda Motor Co fell 5.0 percent, while struggling Nissan Motor Co saw a 13.7 percent drop. However, production by Suzuki Motor Corp. climbed 12.3 percent to 320,617 vehicles, a record high for February, supported by strong sales in India.
Global sales by the eight automakers totaled 1.83 million units, down 4.2 percent, while their domestic production edged up 0.9 percent to 704,569 vehicles.
The impact of the U.S.-Israeli war, which started in late February, is likely to be reflected in data from March onward.
Toyota plans to slash domestic production of cars for the Middle Eastern markets by roughly 24,000 vehicles in April, following an output cut in March of around 20,000 vehicles, while Nissan is reducing output in March due to delayed shipments to the Middle East.
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