Sales of imported cars in Japan in June changed little from the same month a year ago amid a continued economic slump, an industry association said on Friday, according to Associated Press (AP).
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AP, citing the Japan Automobile Importers Association, said the number of imported vehicles sold last month totalled 26,672 vehicles, including 26,311 passenger cars, 357 trucks and four buses. In June 2002, importers sold 26,674 vehicles, the report added.
AP noted that the flat performance followed a 0.2% slip in May and an 8.3% decline in April.
In June, foreign car imports fell 6.7% to 23,589 units, the AP report said, adding that Japan’s economic slowdown has lasted more than a decade, discouraging splurging on cars.
According to Associated Press, German brands took the top three spots in the Japanese market in June with Volkswagen selling 5,065 vehicles, down 12.3%, for approximately 19% of the market.
Mercedes Benz was second, with 4,444 vehicles sold and a 16.7% market share, while BMW sold 3,637 vehicles (13.6%), AP said.
Among US brands, Chrysler was the top-seller at 829 vehicles, up 60%, for a 3.1% share, the report added.
