Japanese vehicle exports in May fell 55.9% from a year earlier to 233,217 units – the eighth straight month of decline, according to JAMA. The sharp contraction reflects plummeting shipments to collapsed markets in Europe and North America.

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JAMA also said that domestic vehicle production in the month dropped 41.4 percent from a year before to 542,282 units, also marking the eighth consecutive month of fall.


Japan’s top five carmakers made domestic plant output cuts ranging from 36.3% to 60% year on year last month, according to industry data.


Of the five – Toyota, Nissan Motor, Honda, Mazda and Mitsubishi – the latter made the largest cut of 60% to 24,793 units while Nissan trimmed production 36.3% to 63,859 units.


Toyota reported a 41.9% fall to 192,637 units, Honda was down 43% to 52,663 units and Mazda cut production 42.9% to 50,065 units.

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The five’s global production also declined, with Mitsubishi reporting the largest cut of 54.6% to 44,902 units, the lowest since its spinoff of the Fuso truck and bus unit in 2003.


Nissan’s volume declined the least – 27.0% to 201,340 units.


Toyota worldwide output fell 38.8% to 442,621 units, Honda’s fell 38.4% to 195,085 units, and Mazda’s was down 37.0% to 66,531 units, according to Kyodo News.


Domestic sales also fell at all five automakers, although some nonetheless made progress cutting back inventories.


Toyota officials told just-auto earlier this month that they thought production had “bottomed out” in May after the automaker made better than expected progress selling down inventory world-wide.