Toyota Astra boosts Kijang van exports

Toyota Astra boosts Kijang van exports

JAKARTA (JP): Export sales of PT Toyota Astra Motor have increased, offsetting the company's falling domestic sales.

As domestic sales dropped 83 percent to 16,515 vehicles in 1998, from 98,139 in the previous year, the company's exports of vehicles rose both in volume and value.

Toyota Astra exported 8,704 popular Kijang vehicles worth US$17 million in 1998, up from only 1,419 in 1997.

Exports of the Kijang vans last year went to the Philippines, Malaysia and Taiwan as pre-assembly vehicles as well as to Brunei, Papua New Guinea and countries in the South Pacific in the form of fully assembled units.

Exports of engines and cylinder blocks, however, dropped to 16,705 and 21,760 units respectively in 1998, from 1997's figures of 28,408 and 28,720.

Engine and cylinder block exports were valued at $28 million and destined for Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan.

The company also exported other Toyota car components worth a total of US$3 million last year.

Total export sales for Toyota in 1998 reached $49.9 million.

Toyota Astra started exporting in 1986, with full support from its principal company, Toyota Motor Corporation of Japan.

"Penetrating the international automotive market is a whole different story from that of other consumer goods. We have obstacles such as having to comply with the destined country's strict emission regulations and local-content regulations," an official of Toyota Astra said.

"A network of distribution and after-sales service are other requirements. The success of our exports are indebted to our principal's established business world-wide," he added. (02)