Toyota September sales, production slide for a third straight month

Toyota Motor’s worldwide vehicle sales fell 2.2% year on year to 860,107 units in September, while output declined 3.2% to 889,079, Business Recorder reported. The decreases marked a third consecutive monthly contraction in both measures, with weaker activity in China and the Middle East weighing on the totals. Toyota’s figures include its Lexus luxury marque.

China sales dropped 19.7%, extending the market’s losing streak to eight months; Toyota attributed pressure on gasoline and hybrid demand to higher petrol prices. Middle East sales were down 29.8%, while Japan recorded a 1.8% increase and the United States, Toyota’s largest market, rose 8.4%. Production fell 18.6% in China and 2.9% in the US, but increased 5.8% in Japan.