Five major Japanese carmakers cut their global production in January by 33.5 to 62.7% from a year earlier, with Mazda Motor hit hardest by global economic problems, according to data released on Wednesday.

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Worldwide output at Ford affiliate Mazda shrank to 45,548 units in the month, with domestic output diving 66.2% to 31,130 units and overseas output plummeting 52.2% to 14,418 units, Reuters reported.


”We were affected by falls in worldwide demand,” the Hiroshima-based automaker said in a statement.


Toyota, including Daihatsu and Hino, cut global production by 39.1% to 487,984 units, with domestic output down 34.6% to 277,472 units. Overseas production fell 44.2% to 210,512 units.


Honda Motor cut global production by 33.5% to 226,551 units, with its domestic output down 23.0% to 77,224 units and overseas output down 37.9% to 149,327 units.


Nissan Motor reduced global production 54.0% to 145,286 units, with its domestic output slashed by 59.0% to 47,477 units and overseas output by 51.2% to 97,809 units.


Mitsubishi Motors cut worldwide production by 53.9% to 53,339 units, with domestic output plummeting 65.0% to 25,392 units and overseas output down 35.3% to 27,947 units.


Sales in Japan fell 17.1% to 130,781 units at Toyota, 23.4% to 34,160 units at Honda, 31.1% to 30,785 units at Nissan, 29.1% to 14,953 units at Mazda and 36.3% to 9,663 units at Mitsubishi.


Exports from Japan plunged 57.1% to 96,864 units at Toyota, 46.3% to 32,934 units at Honda, 62.1% to 27,578 units at Nissan, 72.1% to 20,207 units at Mazda and 77.4% to 12,936 units at Mitsubishi.


Mitsubishi said exports to Asia at 970 units fell 54.7% due mainly to a drop in exports of built-up models to China. Exports to Europe, meanwhile, plummeted 84.1% to 4,673 units, due mainly to a major drop in sales in Russia and Ukraine.


Exports to North America as a whole at 2,252 units were 67.7% down, though shipments to Canada only slipped by 5%.

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