TOKYO (dpa-AFX) - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (HMC) on Thursday reported a return to year-on-year growth in global automobile production in December, marking the first increase in three months, although full-year output remained lower for a second consecutive year.
Worldwide production in December rose 4.3% YoY to 283,161 units, supported by increases both in Japan and overseas. Production in Japan climbed 9.1% to 61,417 units, while production outside Japan increased 3.1% to 221,744 units, with both recording their first year-on-year rise in three months.
For the January-December 2025 period, global production fell 8.9% to 3,396,057 units. Production in Japan edged down 0.5%, while output outside Japan declined 10.8%, marking the second consecutive year of year-on-year decline for all categories.
In the Japanese market, total vehicle sales in December slipped 2.8% year-on-year to 44,537 units, extending declines to a ninth straight month. New vehicle registrations fell 6% for a 14th consecutive month, while mini-vehicle sales rose 1%, posting their first year-over -year increase in eight months. For the full year, total domestic sales dropped 7.3% to 619,400 units, the first annual decline in three years.
Exports from Japan increased 6.1% in December to 10,758 units, marking a ninth consecutive month of growth, driven by strong shipments to North America. For the full year, exports jumped 19.5% to 107,777 units, extending gains to a fourth consecutive year.
Copyright(c) 2026 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2026 AFX News
