Toyota's March overseas sales hit record peak as US buyers rush ahead of tariffs

TOKYO (Reuters) -Toyota Motor said on Thursday that its overseas sales in March touched a record high for the month, fuelled by a surge in North American purchases ahead of U.S. import tariffs that came into effect in early April.

The Japanese automaker sold 814,105 vehicles outside its home market in March, a 6.7% increase from year-ago levels. The company's sales in North America climbed 6.8% on strong demand and potential tariff effects.

Toyota reported a 9.1% year-on-year increase in global production for March, marking the third consecutive monthly rise, with output reaching 880,476 vehicles.

The figures include production and sales from its luxury Lexus brand.

(Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)