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Japanese automakers' domestic output plunged 62 percent in May amid pandemic

Jun 30 (Japan Times) - The domestic production of eight major Japanese automakers in May plunged a record 61.8 percent from a year earlier to 287,502 vehicles due to factory closures and falling demand amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, data released by the companies showed Monday.

The decline, which followed a 46.7 percent drop in April, was worse than the previous record fall of 60.1 percent in April 2011, when a massive earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan triggered extensive supply chain disruptions.

Mazda Motor Corp. said its domestic production in May dived 83.6 percent following an 86.5 percent plunge in April, while Nissan Motor Co. logged its biggest monthly decline of 78.7 percent in May. Subaru Corp. also saw a record monthly fall in domestic output of 77.8 percent in the reporting month.

Toyota Motor Corp. said the pandemic caused its global output in May to plunge 54.4 percent from a year earlier to 365,909 vehicles, the sharpest fall since comparable data became available in 2004.

Japanâ€™s biggest automaker also said its global sales fell 31.8 percent to 576,508 vehicles in the reporting month, though that was an improvement from a 46.3 percent drop in April.

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