TOKYO (AP) — Japanese automaker Nissan said Wednesday it reduced losses for the fiscal year through March, but remained in the red, battered by U.S. tariffs, inflation and intensifying competition.Nissan Motor Corp., based in the port city of Yokohama, reported a 533 billion yen ($3.4 billion) loss, smaller than the 670.9 billion yen in red ink racked up the previous fiscal year.Nissan’s annual sales fell 5% to 12 trillion yen ($76 billion.) Chief Executive Ivan Espinosa said Nissan was making steady progress and seeing “clear signs” of a turnaround.“We have moved beyond recovery and are entering a phase of growth,” he said. “We will build on this momentum through disciplined cost management and faster product execution, driving sales and profitability.”On a quarterly basis, Nissan had a net loss of 282.9 billion yen ($1.8 billion) in the January-March period, compared to the 676 billion yen loss the same period a year ago.
Quarterly sales declined nearly 2% to 3.43 trillion yen ($22 billion).Nissan said it was working on cost cuts and other efforts to become more profitable. It said it managed to record a better-than-expected operating profit and expects better results for the current year with upcoming model launches.
