JAPANESE automakers saw a 14 percent drop in global vehicles sales in August, the sixth straight month of losses, as the coronavirus pandemic continued to sap demand even after factories and dealerships reopened.

The country’s seven major automakers, including Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co., sold a combined 1.97 million vehicles last month, according to media calculations based on sales data released by the companies yesterday.

The decline in monthly sales has slowed significantly since a 50 percent slump in April, while only Suzuki Motor Corp. posted a 2.2 percent increase in August sales.

Total global production at Japan’s seven major automakers fell 14 percent year on year to 1.84 million units last month, barely drifting from a 14.4 percent dip in July.

Global demand for cars has been weak since March due to virus-related lockdowns in many countries. Industry experts anticipate that it could take up to five years for demand to recover to pre-pandemic levels.(SD-Agencies)