Japan's domestic car sales drop 51%May 3, 2011 - 09:26 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Japan's domestic sales of cars, trucks and buses fell by a record amount in April, hit by the aftermath of the country's earthquake and tsunami. With production halted and supply chains broken, sales last month were 51% lower than a year earlier, said the Japan Automobile Dealers Association, BBC reports. It said sales would continue to be subdued in the months ahead because of a continuing shortage of parts. April's decline followed a 37% fall in vehicle sales in March. The Japan Automobile Dealers Association (Jada) said domestic sales in April totaled 108,824. Sales of Toyota brand plunged 68.7 percent to 35,557 units. Sales of Nissan Motor dipped by 37.2 percent to 17,413 and that of Honda Motor dropped 48.5 percent. The 51% fall from a year earlier was the biggest decline since records began in 1968. The all-time record fall was 45%, which was recorded in May 1974 during the global oil price crisis. Top stories Yerevan has dismissed Turkey’s demand to shut down the Armenian nuclear power plant as “inappropriate”. Armenia will loan 2.9 billion drams to Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh), according to a draft government decision. The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan has “strongly condemned” Armenia’s decision. Kerobyan has said that for the first time in the history of Armenia, the volume of foreign direct investments amounted to about $1 billion. Partner news | Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. Aliyev says no need for mediators in Armenia-Azerbaijan process Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes that Baku and Yerevan do not mediators in the process of normalizing relations. Aram I supports Karekin II’s “patriotic position” Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I has expressed support for the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. |