Japan's major automakers suffered production cuts in April amid declining sales caused by the global economic turmoil, the firms said Thursday.

Leading carmaker Toyota Motor Corp's global output plunged almost 50 per cent in April to 366,125 units from the same month a year before, it said.

Domestic output also fell 56.1 per cent to 145,516 units, as sales within Japan dropped 32.3 per cent to 77,634 units. Overseas output declined 44.3 per cent to 220,609 units.

Exports tumbled 70.9 per cent to 69,194 units year-on-year.

Global production of Toyota and its subsidiaries, Daihatsu Motor Co and Hino Motors Ltd, declined 46.5 per cent to 433,979 units.

The nation's second-largest automaker Honda Motor Co suffered a global production decline in April of 231,399 units, 29.7 per cent down from a year before.

Although domestic output sank 37.5 per cent to 57,066 units, Honda's domestic sales inched up 1.8 per cent to 46,060 units, which was the first rise in six months, the company said.

Overseas production fell 26.7 per cent to 174,333 units, and exports plunged 70.4 per cent to 16,418 units.

Nissan Motor Co also cut its global output slid 38.2 per cent to 183,248 units.

Its domestic sales in April dropped 31.7 per cent from a year earlier to 29,533 units.

Domestic production fell 49.8 per cent to 49,663 units, and overseas output declined 32.5 per cent to 133,585 units, the major Japanese automaker said. Exports plunged 54.3 per cent to 30,670 units.