Japan's auto output climbs 20.3% in Oct.

Japanese automobile production climbed 20.3 percent in October from a year earlier, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) said Wednesday. According to the industry body's latest figures, the rise in the recording period follows a 4.5 percent contraction logged a month earlier, with production of cars, trucks and buses all rising on year from a month earlier. Production of passenger cars jumped 20.0 percent to 773,694 units and that of trucks rose 22.8 percent to 120,036 units. Bus production increased 18.5 percent to 10,517 units, according to JAMA's latest figures. In addition, the industry body said that the nation's vehicle exports increased 13.2 percent to 472,022 units in October, marking the third successive month of increase. On a value basis, automobile exports climbed an annualized 16.1 percent, while those of motorcycles rose 11.4 percent in the recording period, JAMA said. The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association is a nonprofit industry association made up of fourteen manufacturers of passenger cars, trucks, buses and motorcycles in Japan. The industry body recognizes that the automotive sector is one of Japan's core economic drivers and integral to local and national economies around the globe.