Toyota's global sales in May reached 834,279 units, marking the 4th consecutive monthly decline. Global production also decreased by 5.5% to 765,470 vehicles, the first decline in three months, according to the world's largest automaker by volume.

This downturn was primarily driven by a significant 9.6% drop in Toyota's overseas sales, totaling 715,898 units. Sales in China plummeted by 31.7% to 102,299 vehicles amid prolonged challenging market conditions. Exports from Japan to the Middle East also saw a sharp 65.9% decrease to 7,323 vehicles, marking the third consecutive monthly decline for the region, which experienced an overall 38.6% sales reduction to 29,568 vehicles.

In contrast, sales in Japan increased by 11.1% to 118,381 units, maintaining high demand, supported by positive sales of new models like the RAV4 sport utility vehicle and the bZ4X electric vehicle. Sales in India also rose by 15.3% to 30,227 vehicles, boosted by tax cuts on automobiles. Sales in the United States saw only a slight 0.6% decrease to 238,800 units, remaining stable compared to the previous year despite strong demand for hybrid vehicles.

Yaris - Toyota's top-selling car in Japan. Photo: kazu-san

Yaris - Toyota's top-selling car in Japan. Photo: kazu-san

Toyota's overseas production decreased by 9.4% to 514,882 vehicles, marking its first year-on-year decline in three months. This reduction was attributed to fewer operating days in North America and Europe. Production in China also fell sharply by 23.0% to 98,536 vehicles. However, domestic production in Japan increased by 3.7% to 250,588 units, recording its first growth in seven months thanks to the launch of new vehicle lines.

The broader Japanese automotive market also experienced a downturn in May. Total global sales for the 8 largest Japanese automakers, including Toyota, collectively decreased by 2.6% compared to the same period in 2025, reaching 1,966,434 vehicles.

Honda's sales fell by 4.9% to 283,623 units due to weakened demand in the Chinese market. Nissan also reported a 10.3% decrease in sales, totaling 229,870 vehicles, facing similar difficulties. Conversely, Suzuki showed strong performance, with sales surging by 23.2% to 307,918 units, driven by robust demand in India thanks to tax reduction policies and growth in emerging markets.

The combined global production of all eight automakers reached 1,903,550 units, a 3.7% decrease. Their domestic production also slightly declined by 0.9% to 598,817 vehicles.

My Anh (according to Kyodo News)