Car production in Japan reached its lowest level since 1967

Japanese production of cars, trucks and buses had its most marked slump in almost 40 years in November, while the slowdown in the U.S. economy has affected the demand, reported Thursday a group the automotive sector.

The Automobile Manufacturers Association of Japan revealed that 854,171 vehicles had been built in the country last month. This is a dip of 20.4 per cent in a year.

November is also the second consecutive monthly decline, has added the agency, specifying that the slide had been the largest registered since it began compiling data in 1967.

Car production in Japan has dropped from 20.3 percent in November compared to the same month of the previous year, reaching 737,797 vehicles. This truck has declined by 20.9 percent, 106,170.

Japanese manufacturers, including Honda, Nissan and Toyota, and many other manufacturers have been hit hard by the decline in demand in the United States, the largest automobile market in the world.

However, the situation is serious to such an extent that sales are also strong fall in Japan.

Of automotive executives said to be dismayed by this autumn Japanese sales, which have become worse over the last two months.

Production has been reduced in some Japanese factories, and thousands of workers in assembly lines have lost their jobs in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, the Automobile Manufacturers Association of Japan said he expected that the demand in the country fall next year to its lowest level in about three decades.

Sales of new cars are expected to reach 4.86 million in 2009, down 4.9 percent compared to those of 5.11 million projected this year, the group has said.

Sales of new vehicles in Japan have never slips below five million since 1980.