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.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Business News
June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.