Toyota Motor Corp and Honda Motor Co said Tuesday their global production plunged nearly 50 per cent in May from a year earlier in the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, DPA reported.
Toyota said its global output fell 49.3 per cent from a year earlier to 287,811 units while domestic production plummeted 54.5 per cent to 107,437.
Honda said global production dropped 49.6 per cent to 137,852 units in May and domestic output fell 46.6 per cent to 34,746.
The March disaster, which left 15,505 dead and 7,305 missing, knocked out many production facilities in north-eastern Japan, disrupted supply chains and forced major manufacturers to suspend domestic operations. Plants abroad were also affected by shortages of parts.
Nissan Motor Co saw its global output rebound, up 19.3 per cent to 368,914 units while domestic production edged up 0.8 per cent to 80,036.