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NEWS
Toyota Oz exports rise once more
March a strong indicator Toyota Australia's export markets are finding their feet againThe last few years have been moderately difficult for Australia's most popular brand and largest local manufacturer, Toyota.
Both imported vehicle sales and local production were affected by the 2011 natural disasters in Japan and Thailand, but vehicle exports from Toyota's Altona plant had also fallen away in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis. Many of the company's markets in the Middle East had their local currency pegged to the US dollar, which made exports from Australia expensive and hard to sell against rivals from countries where the currency was worth the same or less than the USD. That's to say nothing of the general downturn in vehicle sales around the world either.
But Toyota is seeing light at the end of the tunnel following the collation of export production figures for March. 7383 units of Camry, Camry Hybrid and Aurion were shipped overseas last month, the vast majority (97 per cent, according to the company) making their way to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The balance were sent to New Zealand, Yemen and the South Pacific.
March being the final month of the Japanese financial year, Toyota can now say for certain that the company's exports from its Altona plant in Melbourne's western suburbs nearly reached 70,000 units for the financial year ended 31 March. Export numbers for the month alone amounted to Toyota's second best result for the 12-month period, with 8470 vehicles exported in August of last year. Things could be better still, however, with Toyota pushing for a free-trade agreement (FTA) between Australia and the Gulf Cooperation Countries.
"The competitiveness of our export program would be enhanced if an Australia-GCC free trade agreement could be reached," said Dave Buttner, Toyota Australia Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.
"We are supportive of the work being undertaken by the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness Dr Craig Emerson in continuing to register the Australian Government's interest in this agreement.
"The fact that we have strong exports is an indication of the high quality and durability of the vehicles we build here in Australia."
70 per cent of vehicles built by Toyota at Altona are exported, meaning exports from Australia represent the lion's share of revenue from vehicle production at the plant. The new engine plant building the 2.5-litre Camry/Camry Hybrid engine is also exporting some of its output to Thailand and Malaysia, contributing to the bottom line.
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