Japanese automakers’ global sales declined 38% in May, in the third straight month of big falls as most automotive factories and dealerships remained closed due to coronavirus lockdowns. The country’s seven major automakers sold a total of 1.47 million vehicles last month, down sharply from 2.38 million units a year ago, according to Reuters calculations based on sales data released by these companies. But the decrease was smaller than the 50% tumble posted in April. Global production at these automakers fell 62% to 918,974 units in May, compared to a production slump of 55% in April. Car demand has plummeted globally since March as people were forced to stay indoors in most countries due to lockdowns to control the outbreak, leading to deep uncertainty about the longer-term economic impact. Many countries have been easing their lockdown measures, but industry experts anticipate that it would take up […]