Latest news with #ToyotaMotorCorp.
6 days ago
- Automotive
Global Sales at 8 Japanese Automakers Rise 3.8 Pct in April
News from Japan Economy May 29, 2025 21:25 (JST) Tokyo, May 29 (Jiji Press)--Eight major Japanese automakers' combined global vehicle sales rose 3.8 pct from a year earlier to 1.96 million units in April, data provided by the companies showed Thursday. Global sales grew at four of the eight, including Toyota Motor Corp., which posted a 10 pct increase, partly thanks to last-minute demand in the United States in response to additional auto tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump's administration. Struggling Nissan Motor Co. logged a 7.2 pct global sales drop. The additional U.S. tariffs took effect on April 3. While there were still vehicles in stock that were imported before the tariff implementation, U.S. consumers are believed to have rushed to buy vehicles in anticipation of future price rises. Mazda Motor Corp.'s sales in the United States hit a record high for a single month, and Toyota and Subaru Corp. also enjoyed higher U.S. sales. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Yomiuri Shimbun
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Listed Companies' Financial Results: Overcome Headwinds with Proactive Strategies
Listed companies have been reporting strong financial results. However, this fiscal year, the situation has changed significantly, and they are likely to face headwinds from the negative impact of tariff measures by U.S. President Donald Trump. It is hoped that companies will not fall into a defensive posture, but rather implement proactive strategies to continue to grow, and will achieve high wage increases. Almost all companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange have announced their earnings for the year ending March 31, 2025. The combined net profits of companies that make up the Tokyo Stock Price Index (TOPIX), excluding firms in the financial sector, hit a record high for the fourth consecutive year. In addition to the strong performance of semiconductor-related companies due to increased demand for chips, corporate performance in the automobile industry also remained firm. The total net profits of the manufacturing sector amounted to about ¥22.7 trillion. The railroad sector, which is benefiting from the full-fledged recovery of visitors to Japan, and information technology-related services, which are experiencing strong demand for investment in digital technology, also performed well. Mainly for these reasons, non-manufacturing companies' net profits increased. It can be said that the trend of listed companies achieving high growth and giving it back in the form of higher wages has been making steady progress. The concern is corporate performance for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, when the impact of the U.S. government's high tariff policy will be felt fully. Forty percent of the about 1,000 companies forecast a decrease in profits. In particular, the damage to the automobile industry, a key industry in Japan, is expected to be large. Toyota Motor Corp. has estimated that tariffs will be a factor in a ¥180 billion decline in operating profit for the two months of April and May. Honda Motor Co. also forecast an annual decline of ¥650 billion in operating profit due to tariffs. Four out of the seven major automakers have disclosed earnings forecasts. According to them, their total net profits are expected to fall 40% from the previous fiscal year. The automobile industry has led the way in high-level wage increases for three consecutive years until this year's shunto spring wage negotiations. If momentum for higher wages wanes, the transition to a growth-oriented economy, in which wages and investment both increase, could be derailed. With about ¥600 trillion in corporate internal reserves, companies should have the capacity to weather the adverse economic conditions. They need to continue their efforts to keep wage increases flowing. With the outlook becoming increasingly uncertain, many companies have begun to slash their workforces, even though they are in the black. The number of listed companies offering early or voluntary retirement is rapidly increasing. Panasonic Holdings Corp. has announced that it will cut a total of about 10,000 jobs in Japan and overseas. On the other hand, some companies are anticipating growth despite the headwinds. Ajinomoto Co. forecast its highest profit in three years for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, on the back of growth in electronic materials for semiconductors, among other factors. It is hoped that companies will look for new growth areas, rather than relying on restructuring. There is a possibility that the protectionist stance of the United States will be prolonged. It also will be important to reduce dependence on the United States and develop new sales channels. (From The Yomiuri Shimbun, May 23, 2025)
Yomiuri Shimbun
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Toyota to Release New EV in U.S., Japan; Bz Woodland Sales to Begin in 2026
Courtesy of Toyota Motor Corp. Toyota Motor Corp.'s new electric vehicle bZ Woodland NEW YORK — Toyota Motor Corp. announced the company is set to launch a new electric SUV model in the United States and Japan in 2026. Together with the bZ and C-HR, a total of three Toyota-brand electric vehicle models will be sold in the United States. Toyota will be expanding its lineup of EVs alongside its best-selling hybrid vehicles. The upcoming bZ Woodland is as large as the bZ4X but offers a more spacious luggage area. The four-wheel drive car will boast a high power rating of 375 horsepower. The EV will be able to run about 420 kilometers fully charged and the battery can be charged from 10% to 80% in approximately 30 minutes. The car will be produced at Subaru Corp.'s Yajima Plant in Gunma Prefecture. The price remains unknown. The EV will be released as the bZ4X Touring in Japan in March 2026.
The Mainichi
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Mainichi
Japan auto body urges swift removal of Trump's additional tariffs
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The head of Japan's auto industry body urged Thursday the swift removal of U.S. President Donald Trump's additional 25 percent tariffs on cars and their parts, as Tokyo plans another round of ministerial-level tariffs talks with Washington later this week. "We hope for tenacious talks to achieve an early agreement," Masanori Katayama, chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, told a press conference. He added that the association looks forward to "productive dialogue" to continue between Japan and the United States and hopes such discussions will foster the business environment of both countries' automotive industries. Japan's top tariffs negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, is set to travel to the United States from Friday for the third round of tariffs talks with U.S. ministers, where negotiations in the auto and farm sectors are set to be in focus. Major Japanese automakers including Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. have projected a fall in net profits, while others skipped releasing their earnings estimates for the current year through March due to uncertainties over Trump's tariff measures. "It is impossible" for tariffs on autos not be negotiated in the talks with the United States, Katayama, chairman and CEO of Isuzu Motors Ltd., told reporters. Katayama stressed that Japanese automakers have contributed significantly to the U.S. economy, unveiling latest data that they have invested some $66.4 billion in the country since 1982, when local production there was launched, through the end of 2024. Data also showed that the automakers locally produced 100 million units. In 2024, 3.28 million units were produced, generating 110,000 jobs. Trump's auto tariffs have weighed on Japan's mainstay auto sector. According to official Japanese trade data, about 1.37 million vehicles were shipped to the United States in 2024, accounting for 28.3 percent of its total exports to the world's largest economy in terms of value.
Asahi Shimbun
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Asahi Shimbun
Toyota shows off new RAV4 with in-house Arene software system
Toyota's sixth-generation RAV4 comes in either a hybrid or a plug-in hybrid model. (Go Takahashi) Toyota Motor Corp. has rolled out a fully redesigned RAV4 for the first time in six years, marking a major step forward in its push toward next-generation software-defined vehicles (SDVs). The RAV4 is one of Toyota's key global models, accounting for 10 percent of the company's total vehicle sales in 2024 with 1.05 million units sold worldwide. The sixth-generation RAV4 announced on May 21 does not have a model that runs solely on gasoline and instead comes in two electric versions: a hybrid vehicle (HV) and a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV). Toyota touts that drivers can cover up to 150 kilometers exclusively on an electric charge in the PHV, a more than 50 percent increase in distance. Acceleration and off-road performance have also been improved. In a first for Toyota, the new RAV4 features the company's operating system for vehicles that was developed in-house and is known as Arene. This software platform allows for over-the-air updates to enhance driving performance, safety features and other core functions in real time. Toyota plans to install Arene in more models in the future in its attempt to position the new RAV4 as a pioneer with its software-driven strategy. The new RAV4 is scheduled to launch in Japan by March 2026. Pricing details are to be announced at a later date. Originally introduced in 1994, the RAV4 has become one of Toyota's most successful global vehicles. In 2024, nearly half of the model's sales, 480,000 units, were in the United States. This has raised concerns about the potential impact of the 25 percent additional auto tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
