Honda Production Dropped 11% in October 2025 . But Shipments to America Jumped Four Times Over

Honda just released its October numbers, and the headline is simple: global production is down again. The company built 302,671 vehicles worldwide last month. That’s 11% less than October 2024.

It’s the same story for the first ten months of 2025; total output sits at 2.89 million units, down 7.4% from the same period last year. Anyone following the industry saw this coming, but the details still hurt.

Japan Held Up Better Than the Rest of the World

Domestic production in Japan only fell 3.6%. That’s actually not bad compared to the bloodbath overseas.

Outside Japan, output crashed almost 13%. China keeps dragging the numbers down. Honda’s joint ventures there are getting hammered by local EV brands. Indonesia is another weak spot. Even North America, usually a safe harbour for Honda, saw production drop.

Plants are running slower because dealers already have too many cars sitting on lots, especially Civics and CR-Vs that aren’t flying out the door like they used to.

One Bright Spot: Exports from Japan Exploded

Here’s the part most people missed.

While Honda built fewer cars overall, it shipped 21% more vehicles out of Japan than last October. And the real story is where those cars went.

Exports to the United States went up four times. Yes, four times. That’s not a typo.

Shipments to Europe, on the other hand, fell by over 16%. Nobody’s buying new Hondas in Europe right now – high prices, slow EV transition, and German brands fighting back hard.

But America can’t get enough of certain models made in Japan. Think Type R, Acura Integras, maybe even some special editions. Whatever Honda is loading on those boats, US dealers are snapping them up instantly.

What This Actually Tells Us

Honda isn’t falling apart. It’s shifting.

The company is cutting production where demand is soft (China, Europe, mainstream models) and feeding the markets that are still hungry (US performance cars and whatever Americans are buying right now).

The CR-V and Civic are still Honda’s bread and butter, but they’re increasingly built in North America for North America. Japan’s factories are focusing more on high-margin, low-volume stuff that gets shipped overseas.

This isn’t new. Toyota has been doing the same thing for years, but Honda is now playing the same game aggressively.

The China Problem Isn’t Going Away

Everyone knows China is brutal right now for Japanese brands. BYD, Geely, Xiaomi, Li Auto, they’re eating everyone’s lunch. Honda’s two joint ventures (GAC Honda and Dongfeng Honda) used to sell over a million cars a year combined. Those days are gone until they get proper competitive EVs on the road.

Honda keeps promising new electric models for China in 2026 and 2027. We’ll see if they arrive in time.

Bottom Line for Regular People

If you’re waiting for a new Civic or HR-V in Pakistan, India, or Southeast Asia, the wait probably isn’t getting shorter anytime soon – production cuts hit those markets too.

If you’re in the US and want a Japanese-built Honda or Acura, good luck; they’re being shipped as fast as they’re made.

Honda isn’t dying. It’s just making fewer cars where nobody’s buying and more cars where people are still willing to pay.

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