日本车企2012年在华销量下滑

Toyota and Nissan, Japan’s top two car companies by revenues, sold more than 100,000 fewer cars in China last year than in 2011, as territorial tensions between the countries escalated into a consumer backlash, writes Ben McLannahan in Tokyo.

2012年丰田(Toyota)和日产(Nissan)在华汽车销售量较2011年减少逾10万辆，两国间的领土争端升级至中国消费者对日本产品的抵制行为。按销售额计算，丰田和日产是日本最大两家汽车制造商。

The figures, published yesterday, mark the first time that either company has seen a fall in sales in China, the world’s largest car market, since they set up joint ventures with local partners in 2003. Toyota said its new car sales in China fell 4.9 per cent last year to 840,500 units, while Nissan posted a 5.3 per cent fall to 1.18m units.

昨日公布的数据标志着，丰田和日产自2003年通过与中国本地企业成立合资公司进入中国市场以来，在华销售量双双首次下滑。丰田表示，2012年在华新车销售量同比下降4.9%，至840500辆。日产2012年在华销售量下降5.3%，至118万辆。中国是全球第一大汽车市常

Japan’s carmakers have increased discounts and spent more on advertising to lure back Chinese customers after protests broke out in cities in September, triggered by Tokyo’s decision to nationalise a chain of islands also claimed by Beijing.

日本汽车厂商现已加大了打折促销力度，并在广告宣传方面增加投入，希望把中国消费者吸引回来。此前日本政府决定把与中国存在领土争端的尖阁诸岛国有化，此举引发了去年九月中国多个城市的反日抗议。

Such promotional activities led to monthly sales in China gradually rising between October and December, following a drop of about 40 per cent across the industry in September from a year earlier.

受此类促销活动影响，去年10至12月间中国市场上的日系乘用车月度销量逐步增长，而去年9月日系车在华销量同比下降约40%。

However, the lingering anti-Japan sentiment is evident in the companies’ forecasts for 2013. Toyota is aiming to sell 900,000 cars in China this year – well down on its original 1m-plus target.

不过，中国国内仍然存在的反日情绪对日本车企2013年的在华业绩预期造成了显著影响。丰田目前计划2013年在中国市场销售90万辆汽车，远低于早前超过100万辆的目标。

“In the short term, the carmakers don’t care much about profitability, said Kochi Sugimoto, an analyst at BNP Paribas in Tokyo. “More important is that sales patterns go back to normal.

法国巴黎银行(BNP Paribas)驻东京分析师杉本孝一(Kochi Sugimoto)表示：“短期内日本车企不会过于关注盈利能力。当务之急是使销量走势回归常态。

Sales of other Japanese products have also dipped in China.

其他品类的日本产品在中国市场的销量同样有所下降。

Shiseido, the cosmetics maker, and Tamasu, the sports equipment maker, say their outlook has dimmed. In a survey of 1,000 Chinese consumers published on Saturday by Kyodo News, two-thirds of respondents said they had refrained from buying Japanese products since diplomatic relations deteriorated.

日本化妆品生产商资生堂(Shiseido)以及体育用品制造商蝴蝶(Tamasu)均表示已下调在华业绩预期。日本共同通讯社(Kyodo News Agency)上周六发表了对1000名中国消费者的一项调查结果，其中三分之二的受访者表示，自两国外交关系恶化以来已避免购买日本商品。