Japan vehicle output down 12.8 per cent; exports fall 7.8 per cent

Jan 31, 2012, 6:06 GMT

Tokyo - The number of cars produced in Japan in 2011 dropped 12.8 per cent and vehicle exports declined 7.8 per cent as output was affected by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and massive flooding in Thailand, an industry group said Tuesday.

Japanese manufacturers produced about 8.4 million vehicles and exported 4.46 million units, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association said.

The figures dropped as vehicle production was disrupted by the March disaster in north-eastern Japan, which left 15,845 people dead and 3,367 missing. Carmakers also halted production as flooding in Thailand at the end of the year affected the suppliers of their car parts.

The number of vehicles manufactured in Japan by Toyota Motor Corp, the country's biggest carmaker, dropped 15.9 per cent to 2.76 million while the company exported about 1.57 million, down 10.1 per cent from the previous year, the association said.

The number of cars shipped by all Japanese carmakers to the United States, their biggest market, declined 6.8 per cent to about 1.43 million while exports to Asia were down 0.7 per cent to 572,000 units.