Suzuki to withdraw from US car sales business

Japan’s Suzuki Motor is pulling out of the US auto market. The stronger yen and a weak economy in the United States are behind the company’s decision. Suzuki has been selling mostly small cars in the US since 1985. Its US sales peaked in 2007, when more than 100-thousand units were sold. But the recession following the 2008 collapse of Lehman Brothers was a blow to auto sales in the country, according to Japan’s (NHK WORLD) website. The stronger yen also made the situation worse for Japanese automakers like Suzuki, whose business is heavily dependent on exporting cars from Japan. The company sold just 27-thousand units in the US last year. Suzuki says it will continue to sell cars in Hawaii and motorcycles and marine engines in the US.