Toyota August sales, production fall for second straight month

TOKYO, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor 7203.T said on Tuesday its global vehicle sales and production fell for a second straight month in August, as declines in China, the US and the Middle East persisted after dragging down results in the prior month.

• The world's biggest automaker saw global sales fall 6.4% from a year earlier to 790,743 vehicles and production drop 5.9% to 700,860 vehicles.

• A 22.8% plunge in China dragged sales down for a seventh consecutive month, as higher petrol prices weighed on demand for hybrid and traditional combustion-engine vehicles.

• Sales in the US, Toyota's top market, fell 4.4%, while those in the Middle East slumped 37.5%, offsetting a 9.1% rise in Japan.

• Production was pulled down by an 11.3% drop in China and a 6.6% decline in the US. Output in Japan fell 1.7%, in part due to the impact of production suspensions following an earthquake on the southern island of Kyushu.

• Toyota's figures include its luxury Lexus brand.