Japan's imported vehicle sales plunge 37.2% in January

Special Report:Global Financial Crisis

TOKYO, Feb. 5 (Chinese media) -- Japan's sales of new

imported vehicles dived 37.2 percent year-on-year to 8,915 units in January,

said the Japan Automobile Importers Association Thursday.

The sales, including those of Japanese brands

manufactured abroad, saw a ninth consecutive monthly fall, which the trade body

attributed to the deteriorating economy amid the ongoing global financial

crisis.

Foreign-brand vehicles sold in Japan plummeted 34.3

percent to 7,657 units while sales of Japanese cars nosedived 50.2 percent to

1,258 units, said the association.

In terms of manufacturers, Volkswagen ranked No. 1

with sales of 1,872 units, followed by Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

Japan's leading firms rush to revise downward earnings for FY 2008

Visitors look at a screen showing the logo of Honda Motor Co at the company's headquarters in Tokyo Jan. 30, 2009. Honda Motor Co lowered its annual profit forecasts for a fourth time this year, while rival Toyota Motor Corp's losses are growing as sliding global car sales force the industry to scale back production further. (Chinese media/Reuters Photo)
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TOKYO, Jan. 30 (Chinese media) -- A number of Japanese industry leaders, including Toyota, Hitachi, Honda, and NEC are rushing to revise group operating loss projections further downward on Friday as the spread of the economic crisis produced larger-than-expected effect on their profitability.

Toyota Motor Corp. is expected a group net loss this financial year through March. It would be the first annual net loss for the company after it was founded in 1937, local media said Friday. Full story

Toshiba, NEC in talks to integrate semiconductor business

TOKYO, Jan. 30 (Chinese media) -- Toshiba Corp. and NEC Corp. have begun talks to integrate their troubling semiconductor operations to combat plummeting chip prices and dwindling global demand, local media reported Friday.

Fujitsu Ltd. may also participate in the deal in the future since it is also looking for a tie-up partner for its semiconductor unit, which was spun off in March last year, Kyodo News said, citing sources familiar with the matter. Full story

Toshiba logs 1st operating loss in 7 years

TOKYO, Jan. 29 (Chinese media) -- Toshiba Corp. projected Thursday that the company will record 280 billion yen (3.11 billion U.S. dollars) in net and operating loss in fiscal 2008 as flash memory prices were slumping and global economic situation worsening.

If that proves to be the case, the predicted loss will be the first since fiscal 2001. Full story

Honda to further cut output in Japan, North America

The logo of Honda Motor Co, Japan's second-biggest carmaker, is pictured in front of the company headquarters in Tokyo Jan. 27, 2009. Honda announced further production cuts in North America and Japan, as the industry struggles with weak demand in a brutal economic downturn. (Chinese media/Reuters Photo)
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TOKYO, Jan. 27 (Chinese media) -- Honda Motor Co. announced Tuesday it will further slash auto production by some 50,000 units in Japan and North America by the end of March due to shrinking demand for vehicles worldwide amid global financial meltdown. Full story