P.M. BRIEFING : Car Making Accelerates in Japan

Japan’s auto makers produced a record 13,486,796 cars, buses and trucks in 1990, up 3.5% from the previous year, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Assn. said today.

It was the third straight yearly increase, the association said in an annual report.

The report attributed the increase to domestic demand, saying domestic sales of vehicles were up by 7.1% to 7.77 million.

Exports of vehicles declined by about 1% to 5.8 million, the report said. An increase in shipments to Southeast Asian countries and Europe did not cover the 8% drop in sales to the United States.

According to the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, exports of cars to the United States have declined in recent years, totaling 1.95 million in the last fiscal year ending March 31, 1990.

While exports have dropped, the number of Japanese cars and trucks produced in the United States has grown.