Toyota global output, sales down over 20% in March on coronavirus

TOKYO, April 28 Kyodo - Toyota Motor Corp.'s global output and sales both fell over 20 percent from a year earlier in March as stay-at-home requests across the globe due to the coronavirus pandemic hit manufacturing activity and demand. Toyota said its global output dropped 20.6 percent to 640,973 vehicles and sales fell 23.8 percent to 681,510 units, including those sold by subsidiaries Daihatsu Motor Co., a minivehicle manufacturer, and truck maker Hino Motors Ltd. While Toyota's factories in China resumed operations last month, its plants in many parts of Europe, the United States and Asia remain closed as employees stay at home in line with government requests aimed at curbing the spread of the virus. Sales and production in Japan were also sluggish due to fewer visitors to dealers and showrooms, according to Toyota. By region, sales in Asia, excluding Japan, fell 30.4 percent from a year earlier to 171,028 vehicles, while Toyota sold 155,552 units in North America, down 37 percent. The figures are expected to fall further in April after Toyota expanded factory suspensions due to the rapid spread of the virus, with consumer spending also weak at home and abroad. Toyota has temporarily halted production lines at six of its domestic factories in April, leading to a decrease of some 47,000 units. It will again temporarily stop manufacturing in May, resulting in a cutback of at least around 79,000 units. Overseas demand heavily affects Toyota's domestic production, as it exported around 60 percent of 3.41 million vehicles manufactured domestically in 2019. ==Kyodo