Toyota Motor continued to achieve record global sales during the first half of the fiscal year, as growth in the United States helped offset tepid performance in Japan and China.
The company reported on Monday that global sales—including subsidiaries Daihatsu Motor and Hino Motors—rose about 3% in September to 949,153 units, compared to the same period the previous year. Production rose 9% to 1,036,106 vehicles.
The world's largest automaker managed to achieve overall growth despite volatility in China and trade tensions stemming from President Donald Trump's tariffs on imported cars and auto parts to the United States. The company also achieved record production and sales levels for the eighth consecutive month this year, although the pace of consecutive record levels slowed in August.
Toyota achieves a record level
While Toyota and Lexus sales registered a slight decline in China and Japan in September, they rose more than 14% in the United States, and overall sales rose 5% during the first half of the fiscal year, a record high for the six-month period.
Traditional brands' market share in China is declining, as local companies, led by BYD, have grown to dominate the world's largest auto market.
Toyota has regained some stability there, thanks to the popularity of its all-electric bZ3X and gasoline-electric hybrid models. However, the shrinking domestic market in Japan poses a long-term challenge.
Toyota sales fell 1% in China, as more regions ended government subsidies, and 5% in Japan, due to production cuts following a large recall of Prius vehicles.
