Several major auto makers reported steep declines in U.S. sales for September, a slowdown that comes amid shifts in North American trade policy and the looming threat of tariffs on European and Japanese auto imports, the Wall Street Journal reported. The industry is expected to post a 7 percent drop in sales in September compared with the same year-ago period when full industry results are tallied. Analysts attribute the drop to one fewer selling day this month and a surge in sales last September as buyers rushed out to replace vehicles damaged from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Ford Motor Co.’s U.S. sales were down 11.3 percent, while Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. also reported double-digit declines. General Motors Co., which only reports sales on a quarterly basis, said that its sales in the third quarter were down 11.1 percent over the prior year. For September alone, analysts estimate GM’s sales were down about 15 percent over the prior-year period.
