Story no.12InternationalOngoingPlants, jobs and earnings +3Serious Several countries (6)30 Oct → 5 Nov23 facts · 66 art.

Toyota and Japanese automakers face declining sales in China

In 2026, Japanese automakers are experiencing a sharp decline in sales and production in China, while the penetration of new energy vehicles reaches 67% in this market. Despite this, Toyota announced a half-year operating profit of 2,038 billion yen, exceeding expectations; the 25% drop in its Chinese sales was offset by an 8% rise in hybrid sales in the United States and favorable exchange rate effects. In China, the share of Japanese brands has fallen to 10.7%, Honda has recorded its 32nd consecutive month of decline, and Toyota is betting on increased local sourcing as well as an alliance with BYD for an electric sedan. In Japan, Honda saw domestic sales increase by 3.6%, and Toyota called on Japanese automakers to unite against Chinese competition, while in the United States, the growth of hybrids supported the group's results.

In brief

Ongoing story bringing together 23 events involving Toyota, Honda, Nissan and 10 more, in 6 countries (Chine, Japon, États-Unis and 3 more), followed from 30 October 2026 to 5 November 2026. 66 articles from 21 sources (plants, jobs and earnings, sales and market, launches and reviews and 1 more); last updated on 5 November 2026 at 14:58. Figures reported: 860107 vehicles.

National stories

What is established

Method

Confirmed(5)

4
Production by the four Japanese automakers in China, April-September 2026: -32%, to approximately 1.02 million units, the lowest level since 2008.
4 independent sources盖世汽车, 머니투데이, 新浪汽车, 网通社
3
Toyota's global battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales reached 309,766 units from January to September 2026, an increase of 127.4%.
3 independent sourcesautodaily.co.kr, forococheselectricos.com, autoherald.co.kr
2
Toyota's global sales in September 2026: 860,107 units, down 2.2% year-on-year, marking the third consecutive monthly decline.
2 independent sourcesautodaily.co.kr, autoherald.co.kr
2
Honda's production in China decreased by approximately 90%, the steepest decline among Japanese automakers.
2 independent sources新浪汽车, forococheselectricos.com
2
Lexus will launch a locally produced electric SUV in Shanghai in 2027, ending its exclusive import approach in China.
2 independent sourcesCarNewsChina.com, 스타뉴스

Sources disagree(1)

Decline in Japanese production in China over six years
- 60% compared to the 2020 peakaccording to 观察者网
- 63% compared to the 2020 peakaccording to 新浪汽车

Single source so far(5)

Toyota's sales in China fell by nearly 20% in September 2026. (according to autodaily.co.kr)
Japanese passenger car production in China dropped by 46.5% between January and September 2026. (according to forococheselectricos.com)
Toyota's production in China declined by 40.7% year-on-year, yet still accounted for more than 60% of the Japanese volume. (according to forococheselectricos.com)
Toyota has partnered with BYD to launch an electric sedan in China. (according to Mashable)

Updates(3)

1 Nov, 20h29New official figure: Toyota's global production for April-September 2026 at 4.89 million units (-2%).
1 Nov, 20h29New official figure: Toyota's global BEV sales for January-September 2026 at 309,766 units (+127.4%).
1 Nov, 20h29New official figure: Toyota's global sales for September 2026 at 860,107 units (-2.2%), the third consecutive month of decline.

AI cross-check of the headlines and extracts of 31 articles (22 outlets) · “confirmed” = reported by at least two independent outlets, or by the manufacturer’s official press room · 1 Nov, 20h29

Background

Method

Context and reference points, separate from the story's news. Every item links to its source; updated on 31 Oct

Key terms

New energy vehicle: A category of vehicles whose propulsion does not directly use a conventional internal combustion engine; it notably includes hydrogen vehicles, which use the chemical transformation of dihydrogen as a propulsion energy source, often via a fuel cell. Wikipedia
Residual value: The value of an asset after deducting depreciation related to wear or obsolescence; in accounting, it corresponds to the acquisition cost reduced by the amortization applied over its useful life. Wikipedia

Timeline

newest first

Dot = severity

In figures

The activity

23 facts

Latest activity 5 hours ago

2 13 2 1 3 2

30 Oct5 Nov

Countries concerned

Several countries (6)

Brands concerned

Official figures

Toyota · 79,386 reg. (EU + EFTA + UK, Sept 26) · 84 recall(s) in 12 months
Honda · 9,182 reg. (EU + EFTA + UK, Sept 26) · 61 recall(s) in 12 months
Nissan · 25,097 reg. (EU + EFTA + UK, Sept 26) · 45 recall(s) in 12 months
Mitsubishi Motors · 2,961 reg. (EU + EFTA + UK, Sept 26) · 8 recall(s) in 12 months

Key figures

860,107
véhicules

Amounts cited779.6 billion yen · $4.91 billion · Y932.0 billion · $169.6 · 2,236.4 billion yen

Highest number recorded in 8 article(s), automatically extracted: please check sources.

Sources by country and language

Press country

	Articles	Outlets
China	22	14
Japan	16	10
South Korea	9	6
United States	5	4
Unknown country	3	3
Germany	2	1
Spain	2	1
United Kingdom	2	2
Australia	1	1
Brazil	1	1
Canada	1	1
Greece	1	1
Pakistan	1	1

Languages

	Articles	Outlets
Chinese	21	13
English	17	15
Japanese	15	10
Korean	8	6
Portuguese	2	2
Spanish	2	1
Unknown	1	1

Country of the outlet (not of the topic), inferred from its address and language. Each outlet counts once per row.