Japan's automobile production falls 10.4% in FY 2009

Production of automobiles in Japan dropped 10.4 percent in fiscal year 2009, compared to a year earlier, according to data released Monday by eight major Japanese automakers.

According to the automakers' figures, 8.56 million units were produced in the year to March 31, for the first time the number has registered below 9 million units in 31 years.

Honda Motor Co.'s domestic output slumped 21.5 percent to 901, 775 units in 2009 and also logging its sharpest-ever production fall was Daihatsu Motor Co. whose unit production for the year, standing at 672,870, marked a 12.7 percent decrease for the automaker.

All of Japan's top eight automakers posted a year-on-year decline in exports with Japan's No. 2 automaker, Honda Motor Co., plunging 59.9 percent to 230,010 units and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. hitting an all-time-low of 295,345 units shipped abroad -- an on- year decline of 36.2 percent.

It was a different picture for vehicles produced overseas however, as cheaper parts and labor saw all firms except Honda and Daihatsu raise their output.

Statistics revealed that Mazda Motor Corp. saw a 34.5 percent rise to 315,594 units due to increased sales of its popular Axela and other models in China and Suzuki Motor Corp.'s overseas production rose a record 17.1 percent, or 1.59 million units, owing to increased output in India.

In March on year, all of Japan's top eight automakers saw domestic output increase, with recall-plagued Toyota Motor Corp. rising 115.2 percent to 347,281 units and Nissan Motor Co. Ltd, maker of the hugely popular Fuga series, producing 99,903 units in March, an increase of 61.4 percent.

Source: Xinhua