NAGOYA/TOKYO -- Toyota Motor will increase the price of automotive steel it sells to parts makers by a record of around 40,000 yen ($289) per tonne in the October-March half, following its latest round of negotiations with Nippon Steel.
Toyota is Japan's largest buyer of steel, and is responsible for sourcing the metal for use both in-house and by its suppliers. Its purchase price serves as a benchmark for contracts in a range of industries from shipbuilding to home appliance, and the latest hike could be felt through a wide swath of Japan's business sector.
