Japanese production of cars, trucks and buses from April to September plunged 33.5% year on year to 3,855,856 units, a 34 year low, an industry body said Thursday.
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It was the first year on year fall in two years and the largest margin of fall for a fiscal first-half period, diving to the lowest level since 3,514,500 units recorded in the April-September period of 1975, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association told Kyodo News.
The decline was attributable to production adjustments by automakers amid the global slump in auto sales, the association said.
As the margin of fall has been gradually narrowing in recent months, an association official said auto production is on the mend as a result of demand-boosting measures by governments around the world.
Among passenger cars, production of mainstay standard size cars plunged 41.3% to 1,743,035 units and that of smaller cars declined 22.2% to 1,020,269 units.
Exports of cars, trucks and buses in the six month period dropped 48.5% to 1,770,299 units.
In September alone, production of vehicles dropped 21.6% from the year before to 830,140 units for the 12th straight month of decline.
However, the year-on-year fall slowed for the seventh consecutive month.
Exports in September declined 35.7% to 396,163 units.
