Toyota reports sluggish China sales

Toyota’s (TM.NYSE, 7203.TYO) sales in China fell to 60,000 units in November from 81,800 last year as business continued to suffer from a diplomatic row between Japan and China, Reuters reported. A senior Toyota executive said sales were still “far off from our more normalized and targeted sales,” though the pace of decline eased from the previous two months. Toyota’s production plunged 61% in October from the same month last year, while production by rival Nissan (7201.TYO) dropped by 44% and Honda (HMC.NYSE, 7267.TYO) by 54%, The Wall Street Journal reported. October was the first full month in which Japanese car manufacturers felt the effects of the Chinese boycott. Japanese companies have pledged to keep investing and expanding in China, the world’s biggest auto market, even as they slash sales projections.