Toyota, Nissan global production expands in May on strong overseas demand

Japanese automakers reported generally solid growth in global production and exports in May, as robust demand in Asia and emerging markets cushioned the effects of a softening U.S. market. The country's top automaker Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday overall global production rose 3.6 percent from the previous year to 805,948 vehicles on strong output in Asia. Toyota's overseas production gained 4.3 percent to 400,749 vehicles, while production in Japan expanded 2.9 percent to 405,199 units. The company said its exports from Japan advanced slightly to 221,396 vehicles — the eighth consecutive month of increase — mainly due to shipments to Asia and Oceania. Toyota and U.S. rival General Motors Corp. are locked in a dead heat for the title of world's No. 1 automaker. Toyota in December said it aimed to sell 9.85 million vehicles... [read full story]