TOKYO (Kyodo) — Japan's automobile exports in October rose 18.1 percent from a year earlier to 600,788 units, marking the 27th straight monthly gain, thanks to brisk demand mainly in Europe and North America, an industry body said Thursday.
The exports increase helped boost domestic production during the month which rose 9.1 percent from a year earlier to 1,086,868 units for the third straight month of rises, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association said in its monthly report.
The association said exports were strong particularly to Europe. They jumped 23.3 percent to 128,388 units, a rise for the 22nd straight month.
North America-bound exports rose 0.5 percent for the first rise in two months to 224,993 units. However, shipments to the United States alone went down 0.4 percent, slipping for the second month in a row.
Exports to Asian countries meanwhile remained robust with an increase of 43.6 percent, growing for the third month in a row.
On the production front, the association noted a firm increase in the output of passenger cars that showed a 10.2 percent rise to 930,859 units.
Output of buses also rose 64.9 percent to 13,345 units, while that of trucks shrank 0.7 percent to 142,664 units.
While there was brisk overseas demand, domestic demand for vehicles dropped 1.3 percent to 406,215 units, the association said.
