Japan’s exports of cars, trucks and buses...

Japan’s exports of cars, trucks and buses dropped 6.2% in July from a year earlier, the sixth consecutive monthly decline, according to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Assn. The country’s 11 auto makers shipped 558,887 vehicles in July. In June, exports totaled 507,868 units, a 16.6% fall from a year earlier. Japanese car makers have been hurt by waning price competitiveness caused by price hikes stemming from the yen’s sustained strength. A slump in new car sales and growing competition from other countries such as South Korea also were behind the continuous fall in U.S.-bound shipments.