TOYOTA (dpa-AFX) - Japanese automotive giant Toyota Motor Corp. (TM) on Friday said it expects 21 percent increase in worldwide sales for calendar year 2012, with anticipated double-digit growth in both domestic and overseas markets as it recovers from supply chain disruptions following earthquake in Japan and floods in Thailand. The company backed its forecast for sales of Toyota brand vehicles. The company targets to sell 9.58 million vehicles globally in 2012, higher than 2011 sales of 7.95 million units. Of the total sales target, the company continues to project that Toyota brand sales would increase 21 percent to 8.58 million units reflecting a 36 percent increase in Japan and 18 percent growth in overseas. On January 25, the company had lifted its sales target for Japanese sales of Toyota brand from a previously anticipated 27 percent growth. The company now projects sales of subsidiary Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. To increase by 36 percent to 850 thousand and Hino Motors, Ltd. Sales to grow by 18 percent to 150 thousand units. On a geographical basis, total sales in Japan would climb 30 percent to 2.32 million units and that of overseas would grow 18 percent to 7.26 million units. The company in December last year had said that it projects worldwide production of 8.65 million vehicles for calendar year 2012, including Toyota and Lexus brands. This reflects a growth of 24 percent from last year. Of this, Japanese production is expected to increase 23 percent and overseas by 25 percent. The forecast shows positive momentum in the year 2012 in contract to a dim performance in 2011, which was severely hurt by the impacts of earthquake as well as Thailand floods. In the year 2011, total vehicle sales declined 6 percent as Japanese sales fell 19 percent and overseas sales edged down 1 percent. Lower volume in Toyota and Daihatsu more than offset growth in Hino. In Japan, Toyota shares closed Today's trading at 2,899 yen, down 7 yen or 0.24 percent. In the U.S., the shares closed Thursday's trading at $76.23, up $1.03 or 1.37 percent.
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