TOKYO – Toyota Motor's global production decreased for a 10th straight month in November, the Japanese carmaker said on Wednesday, although its worldwide sales grew for the second consecutive month on solid demand in the United States and China.
The world's biggest automaker manufactured 869,230 vehicles globally in November, down 6.2 percent from the same month last year, a larger fall than October's 0.8 percent dip.
Toyota's US output was down 11.8 percent, making a slow recovery although the production of Grand Highlander and Lexus TX SUV models resumed in late October after a four-month stoppage.
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China production dropped 1.6 percent, which was however better than a 9 percent decline in the previous month, as Toyota saw higher local sales of its Granvia and Sienna minivan models and the electric sedan bZ3 jointly developed with BYD.
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In Japan, which accounts for about a third of Toyota's global output, production was down 9.3 percent in November, due in part to a two-day production halt at its Fujimatsu and Yoshiwara plants.
Toyota saw its worldwide sales rising for a second straight month, by 1.7 percent to 920,569 vehicles, setting a new record for the month of November.
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In the January-to-November period, Toyota's global output was 5.2 percent lower than the same period last year at around 8.75 million vehicles, while global sales were down 1.2 percent.
The production and sales figures include vehicles of Toyota's Lexus brand but exclude those of group companies Hino and Daihatsu.