TOKYO (MNI) – Auto industry vehicle output in April tumbled at a
record pace in April as the March 11 earthquake crippled production
facilities and supply chain network until mid-April, data from the Japan
Automobile Manufacturers Association showed on Tuesday
New vehicle production dropped by a whopping 60.1% from a year
earlier to 292,001 in April.
The drop in April was the largest since the industry group started
to compile the data in January 1966, while the April output was the
smallest since January 1968.
The April fall, which was the seventh straight y/y drop, followed a
57.3% drop to 404,039 in March, which was the lowest for the month of
March since 1969 when output totaled 385,320.
In April, passenger car output tumbled 60.2% to 249,772 vehicles,
seven consecutive months of declines, while truck output dropped 57.5%
to 54,579 vehicles, a fifth straight y/y fall.
Bus production fell 80% to 1,924 units last month, a second
straight y/y fall.
Domestic vehicle shipments dropped 47.3% to 185,673 units in April
following a fall of 35.1% in March, while exports fell 67.8% to 126,061
units, a second straight y/y fall, after a 26.1% drop in March.
tokyo@marketnews.com
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