JAMA aims to revitalise Japanese car market in 2012

ERJ staff report (LMH)

Tokyo - The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) said that despite projections of a continued gentle pick-up in Japan's economy in fiscal 2012 (ending 31 March 2013), numerous concerns remain, including the risk of a downturn in the world economy triggered by the European debt crisis, the high value of the yen, and curbs on domestic electric power supply.

JAMA is therefore concentrating its efforts in three areas this year in order to promote the automobile market and help stimulate the economy.

The organisation said in a 17 May news release that “revitalisation of the home market is a key element in the effort to bolster the foundations of Japan's manufacturing expertise.” Japan's automakers will focus on strengthening domestic vehicle demand not only by supplying innovatively appealing models but, along with JAMA, by dynamically promoting the pleasures of automobile use.

JAMA will continue its longstanding initiative of soliciting the government's complete abolition of both the tonnage tax and the automobile acquisition tax, which it says can no longer be construed as in any way viable.

Japan's automakers are committed to further advancing the environmental performance of their products. Those efforts will be accompanied by demands for new incentive measures to help achieve the government's challenging goal of increasing the share of next-generation “green” cars in new car sales in Japan to 80 percent by 2020.

The association also plans to promote Japanese manufacturing craftsmanship, which it says has long been the dominant factor in the success of Japanese automakers' products both in the home market and overseas.

In fiscal 2012, JAMA members will continue their pursuit and application of cutting-edge technologies in the areas of active safety (accident avoidance) and passive safety (injury mitigation) in order to supply world markets with ever safer and more user-friendly vehicles, the association said.

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Press release from JAMA