BEIJING — Japanese automakers Honda Motor Co., Nissan Motor Corp. and Toyota Motor Coirp. saw their sales in China tumble in August as a chip shortage hit vehicle production in the world’s biggest car market.
Honda said it sold 91,694 vehicles in China last month, down 38 percent from a year earlier due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a shortage of components.
Nissan said it sold 113,166 cars in China in August, down 11 percent, due to “external headwinds including on-going pandemic, material shortage and natural disasters across the country”.
Toyota said it sold 144,800 cars last month there, down 12 percent from the same month last year.
A prolonged global chip shortage has caught major automakers including Ford Motor, General Motors and Volkswagen off guard, forcing many to idle or curtail production.
The shortage was unlikely to be resolved soon as the pandemic rages on in many parts of the world, China’s top auto industry body said last month.