China consumers spurn Japan cars amid islands dispute
BY YURI KAGEYAMA Associated Press
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
10/10/12 at 3:03 AM
TOKYO - Sales of Japanese vehicles nosedived in China during September as anti-Japanese sentiment flared over a territorial dispute that threatens to hobble what was a booming business relationship between Japan and its biggest export market.
Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday that sales of new vehicles in China dropped 48.9 percent in September from a year earlier to 44,100 vehicles. Honda Motor Co. said September sales plunged 40.5 percent to 33,931 vehicles. China sales for Nissan Motor Co. slid 35.3 percent last month to 76,100 vehicles.
The plunge in sales comes after Japan last month nationalized tiny islands in the East China Sea, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, which had already been controlled by Tokyo but also claimed by Beijing.
The move set off violent protests in China and a widespread call to boycott Japanese goods. Toyota and Honda dealerships were burned down in one city, and crowds shouting anti-Japanese slogans have gathered and smashed Japanese cars.
Japanese automakers temporarily closed some of their China factories. Production is back up this week - but reduced to lower levels as demand has collapsed.
Original Print Headline: China consumers spurn Japan cars amid dispute
