Toyota aims to produce more than 10 million autos in 2014–report

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TOKYO — Toyota Motor is aiming to produce more than 10 million vehicles in 2014, a bullish target that could boost other industries in Japan, a report said Saturday.

The Toyota group’s production may fall temporarily after April, when Japan increases the consumption tax from five to eight percent, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper said.

But the impact of the tax hike should be blunted by a lowering of the automobile acquisition tax that will also become effective from the new fiscal year starting April, the Asahi said.

With Japan’s economic recovery set to remain solid, Toyota expects its production will pick up from the autumn to achieve the target, the Asahi said.

“Toyota’s bullish stance could cause ripple effects to other industries,” the Asahi said.

Toyota is Japan’s biggest manufacturer. Its health could affect steelmakers and parts suppliers of all kinds, as well as the economy of the central Japan, where the company is based.

In 2013, Toyota aimed to produce a record 10.12 million vehicles, after it overtook General Motors in 2012 to regain the title of world’s biggest automaker.

The company built 9.3 million vehicles between January and November, with Japanese media saying it was on target to become the first automaker in the world to build more than 10 million units in a year.

Toyota, whose group includes small-vehicle maker Daihatsu and truck producer Hino, will make the 2014 annual production target official by the end of the month, the Asahi said.

The consumption tax hike is expected to lower Toyota’s annual production by 10,000 units. The Japanese auto sector as a whole was likely to reduce production by 20,000 to 30,000 units due to the tax hike, the Asahi added.