Auto industry chief expects modest growth in 2013 global auto sales

Rabu, 02 Januari 2013 13:59

(TOKYO-Kyodo) Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association Chairman Akio Toyoda said he expects modest growth in global auto sales in 2013, buoyed by demands in emerging markets as well as replacement demands in developed nations.

"The outlook is not so bright in any country...but people buy a new car once in a few years...(so) we can expect (an increase in auto sales) to a certain extent," Toyoda, who is also the president of Toyota Motor Corp., said in a recent interview.

He also called on the new government led by the Liberal Democratic Party to "place the auto industry at the core of its economic policies," adding that stable growth in the automobile industry will support all Japanese industries.

"Sales of Japanese vehicles account for around 30 percent of global sales and ranks at the top. Unless automakers hang in there, all Japanese industries will collapse," he said.