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Japan automakers posted a sales decline
29th October, 2007
Japanese automakers Monday reported lower domestic sales and higher exports for the fiscal first half ended Sept. 30 in another sign that they rely on overseas demand as an engine of growth.
All of Japan's eight major automakers posted a sales decline, while Nissan Motor Co. was the sole company to report a decrease in exports.
Mitsubishi Motors Corp.'s exports surged 47.5 pct from a year before to 282,081 units, their highest level since the company spun off its bus and truck operations in 2003, on growing sales of the Outlander sport-utility vehicle in Asia and Europe.
Suzuki Motor Corp. lifted its exports by 6.5 pct to a record 199,446 units on strong demand for its SX4 compact car.
Six of the eight makers had larger overseas production, of which Toyota Motor Corp. , Honda Motor Co. , Suzuki and Daihatsu Motor Co. reported record highs.
Following are the eight automakers' fiscal first-half production, sales and exports in units, with year-on-year percentage changes in parentheses:
Domestic Domestic Exports Global
Output Sales Output
Toyota 2,000,523 722,042 1,279,302 4,155,478
( -0.2) ( -7.2) ( 0.9) ( 5.5)
Honda 637,455 291,862 348,357 1,911,182
( -0.0) (-15.8) ( 16.2) ( 6.6)
Nissan 516,608 332,108 275,421 1,611,496
(-10.3) ( -5.0) ( -7.2) ( 6.5)
Suzuki 579,765 315,206 199,446 1,251,521
( -2.2) ( -3.8) ( 6.5) ( 10.9)
Mitsubishi 391,888 100,723 282,081 679,260
( 15.2) (-11.9) ( 47.5) ( 10.3)
Mazda 472,230 123,045 371,269 592,082
( 0.2) ( -6.1) ( 4.5) ( -5.8)
Daihatsu 375,321 292,480 76,595 411,231
( -4.6) ( -0.5) ( 5.9) ( 1.2)
Fuji Heavy 236,985 107,483 132,457 294,262
( -5.4) (-11.0) ( 9.3) ( -2.8)
Japan Autos In USA-
Japanese Automakers Investing $1.7 Billion in New U.S. Plants
Members of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) are spending an estimated $1.7 billion in the construction of four new U.S. auto and auto parts manufacturing plants, which are expected to employ an additional 4,680 American workers when all four new facilities become fully operational, says a new JAMA report, Japanese Automakers in America: New Plants, New Jobs, New Vehicles.
“This investment underscores the extent of our members' commitment to satisfy American consumer demand for high quality, innovative products and to integrate our companies into the fabric of America,” said William C. Duncan, JAMA USA General Director.
Two of these plants opened earlier in 2006, a third will open in November 2006 and the fourth is scheduled to open in 2008. In addition to these new investments, JAMA member companies are spending $382 million in two existing engine plants to increase their manufacturing capacity, according to the report. With these investments, JAMA members' investment in the U.S. is projected to grow to $30 billion by 2008. As of today, cumulative investment in 25 U.S. vehicle, engine, and parts manufacturing facilities stands at $28 billion, the report says.
JAMA produces the report annually to document Japanese automakers' investment in America. The report includes production, R&D, export, and employment statistics as well as the value of purchases of U.S.-made auto parts.
In Japan's fiscal 2005, which ran from April 2005 to March 2006, the report says that the value of parts purchases by JAMA members from U.S. companies hit a new record of $48.4 billion, a seven percent increase over parts purchases in the previous fiscal year.
In 2005, JAMA members' 12 U.S. vehicle plants produced nearly 3.5 million American-made cars and trucks, an increase of 10 percent over 2004. Of these, 269,716 American-made cars and trucks were exported to countries around the world.
To handle the demand and assure continued innovation in 2005, Japanese automakers, their dealers and distributors employed a total of 431,738 Americans. Of these, automakers directly employed 57,370 at their 25 U.S. manufacturing plants and 3,593 at their 36 U.S. research facilities. In addition, Japanese brand vehicle dealers employed 349,086 at 7,050 dealership franchises and distributors employed an additional 21,689.
To obtain a copy of the report, go to www.jama.org. JAMA, located in Tokyo, has offices in Washington, D.C., Brussels, Beijing, and Singapore.
Committed to America
American tastes, priorities and judgments about quality and value continue to drive change in what has become a dynamic global automobile industry. Those changes demand research, investment and commitment to manufacturing excellence. The members of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) have responded by offering Americans vehicles with cutting-edge technology and award-winning quality, built with attention to style as well as competitive efficiency. American consumers have responded, triggering JAMA company announcements this year to build more U.S. plants, buy more U.S. parts, increase research efforts here and hire still more American workers.
In 2006, three new JAMA member auto and auto parts manufacturing plants will open, with a fourth plant opening in 2008. Our members will invest an estimated $1.73 billion in building these four new plants. By 2007, our members also will have invested an additional $382 million in two existing engine plants to increase their manufacturing capacity. By 2008, our members’ investment in U.S. auto and auto parts manufacturing plants will have grown to a projected total of $30.09 billion. Today, the cumulative investment in the U.S stands at $28 billion.
Of course, American workers will operate those new facilities. Our members estimate that 4,680 more Americans will be hired to work in them, for an estimated total of 62,594 U.S. plant employees by 2008. Our members (including distributors) and their dealers today employ 431,738 Americans in 25 plants, 36 research facilities, 7,050 dealership franchises and additional distributor offices.
American workers in our members’ American plants produced nearly 3.5 million American-made cars and trucks in 2005, an increase of 10% over 2004. Our purchases of U.S. auto parts have kept pace with this growth in production. Our American parts purchases were $48.44 billion in 2005, reflecting growth of 7% over 2004.
Satisfying demanding and sophisticated American consumers is key to this growth. Consumers’ evolving priorities have focused competition around high standards of safety, environmental cleanliness, energy conservation, and technological innovation, in addition to quality and value. To meet that ongoing challenge we conduct significant automotive R&D in the U.S. Our American R&D staff has grown steadily over the years, from 200 in 1987 to nearly 3,600 today.
We know it takes more than success in the marketplace before we can call the communities in which we live and work home. That’s why our companies and employees generously contribute their time and money to worthy causes in towns and cities across America. The facts and figures on the pages that follow provide more than a dry, statistical understanding of our accomplishments. They reflect our commitment to satisfying the American consumer and integrating our companies into the fabric of America.
In May 1980 the Japanese Government promised in the Askew/Yasukawa Agreement to encourage Japanese automakers to invest in the U.S. and to purchase U.S. built auto parts. At that time, virtually all Japanese vehicles sold in America were built in Japan with Japanese made parts.
Twenty five years later, Japanese automakers have invested $28 billion building 12 assembly plants and 13 parts plants in the U.S. Today 67 percent of Japanese vehicles sold in America are produced in North America, mostly in the U.S. and largely with U.S. produced parts. In 2004 JAMA members purchased $45.24 billion of U.S. parts.
Release link:
http://www.automobiledir.com/press
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