Japanese automakers record 0.8% output drop in FY21 due to semiconductor shortage

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:35 JST, April 27, 2022

Eight major Japanese automobile manufacturers on Wednesday announced an 0.8% output drop from the previous year, with a total of 23.21 million units produced globally in fiscal 2021.

The impact of the semiconductor shortage put downward pressure on production.

Nissan’s figures decreased 10.7% to 3.38 million units. Production in China, its main manufacturing base, was down 17.8%, and production in Japan was also down by 13.8%.

Mazda Motor Corp.’s overseas production also fell, down by 22.8%, and overall output was down 12.6% to 1.02 million units.

Toyota, however, increased output by 4.7% to 8.56 million units. Despite the effects of the semiconductor shortage, production was higher than in fiscal 2020, when plants in various regions were shuttered due to the novel coronavirus disaster.

Output at Mitsubishi Motors Corp.’s main production base in Indonesia almost doubled from fiscal 2020, and the firm’s global product yield rose 25.9% to 1.02 million units.