Japanese vehicle production rises 14% y/y in March, exports edge down 0.6% y/y

Japanese domestic vehicle output increased for the seventh consecutive month in March as automakers kept output levels high to meet continuing brisk demand ahead of this month's consumption tax hike.

The Japan Automobile Manufacturers' Association (JAMA) today (30 April) released its vehicle production and export data for March. According to the data, Japanese automakers produced a total of 939,761 vehicles at their domestic plants in March, up 14.0% year on year (y/y). By vehicle type, passenger car output jumped 14.9% y/y during the month to 805,469 units, truck output rose 9.5% y/y to 123,099 units, and bus production increased 4.0% y/y to 11,193 units.