Toyota car sales fall for seventh straight month on China slump

Toyota Motor Corp. reported a 6.4 percent decline in global sales to 790,743 units in August, marking the second consecutive month of reduced demand, primarily in China, where gasoline prices surged due to the Middle East conflict. The automaker's global production also fell 5.9 percent from the previous year to 700,860 vehicles in August, continuing a two-month downward trend, influenced by countries experiencing fewer operating days.

Overseas sales for Toyota dropped 8.4 percent to 685,676 cars in August, marking the seventh consecutive monthly decline, with China's sales dropping 22.8 percent to 118,449 units, as the gasoline vehicle market, including both gas-powered and hybrid cars, remained stagnant. US sales fell 4.4 percent to 215,556 cars, while Europe saw a 2.6 percent increase to 78,527 vehicles.

In Japan, sales surged 9.1 percent to 105,067 units, representing the fifth consecutive monthly rise, largely attributed to strong sales of new models like the RAV4 sport utility vehicle, the bZ4X electric vehicle, and the Land Cruiser FJ. The Middle East experienced the sharpest sales decline, with a 37.5 percent drop to 32,600 vehicles, yet Toyota's exports to the region surged 31.0 percent to 24,411 cars, marking the second consecutive month of growth as tensions eased.

Overall, overseas production declined 7.6 percent to 496,373 vehicles, marking the fourth consecutive monthly drop, with China's production falling 11.3 percent to 111,154 cars, primarily due to disruptions caused by a magnitude-7.1 earthquake and subsequent typhoons.