Exports soar, put Japan back atop production list

Exports soar, put Japan back atop production list

James B. Treece Automotive News July 2, 2007 - 12:01 am

Changes at the top

Production in Japan passed U.S. output in 2006. China moved past Germany into 3rd place. 2006% change

1. Japan 11,484,2336.30%
2. U.S. 11,351,289-5.50%
3. China 7,271,81426.30%
4. Germany 5,818,1711.10%
5. S. Korea 3,839,5893.80% Includes passenger cars; light, medium and heavy commercial vehicles; buses, minivehicles Source: Automotive News Data Center

TOKYO -- Japan is the world's biggest vehicle producer - again - thanks to a huge, Toyota-led surge in exports to North America.

After a 12-year span in which the United States held the title, soaring exports thrust Japan back into first place in 2006. And Japan's lead is getting bigger this year.

Japanese automakers built more vehicles at home last year than in any year since 1992. To cope, they have reopened shuttered plants, added capacity and hired temporary workers by the thousands. Domestic sales have nothing to do with the escalating output. Japan's market has declined for two years. But mounting exports drove production of cars, trucks, and buses in 2006 to 11.5 million units. That topped the United States' 11.4 million units, according the 2007 Automotive News Global Market Data Book.

Japan's shipments to all overseas markets last year jumped 18.1 percent to 6.0 million units. That was the highest total since 1988. Japan exported 52 percent of its vehicle production in 2006.

Much of the surge is being driven by Toyota, which accounted for 42.3 percent of Japanese vehicle exports last year. That was more than Nissan, Honda, Mazda and Mitsubishi combined.

Toyota last year exported six of every 10 vehicles it built. Its total exports rose 23.8 percent in 2006.

Japan's shipments to the United States rose twice as fast as total exports. Exports to the United States jumped 36.0 percent last year, to 2.3 million units. That was the highest level since 2.43 million in

1989. The record is 3.43 million units in 1986.

Toyota, Honda and Mazda all boosted exports to North America by 40 percent or more last year. Mitsubishi's shipments to North America rose 10 percent last year.

Japan's vehicle production through May was up 0.7 percent to 4.7 million, according to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers' Association. Exports rose 8.4 percent in that period. U.S. production through May

26 was 4.6 million, down 7.3 percent, according to the Automotive News Data Center.