Mazda Cfo Guyton: Our Policy For Alabama Plant Is To Utilise It As Much As Possible, Want To Improve Sales Mix Into U.S. And Maximise Plant's Utilisation

May 12 (Reuters) - Mazda Motor Corp 7261.T:

• MAZDA CFO GUYTON: OUR POLICY FOR ALABAMA PLANT IS TO UTILISE IT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, WANT TO IMPROVE SALES MIX INTO U.S. AND MAXIMISE PLANT'S UTILISATION

• MAZDA CFO GUYTON: WE'VE TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED PRODUCTION FOR CANADA IN FAVOR OF US MARKET AT ALABAMA PLANT, GOING TO MONITOR SITUATION AND RESPOND FLEXIBLY

• MAZDA CFO GUYTON: EVERYTHING IS ON THE TABLE FOR PRICING AT THE MOMENT

• MAZDA CFO GUYTON: THE CX-50 HYBRID VERSION IS SELLING WELL IN THE U.S. AND HAS REACHED MORE THAN 1/3RD OF OUR MIX FROM ALABAMA PLANT ALREADY

• MAZDA CFO GUYTON: U.S. CUSTOMERS HAVE BEEN RELUCTANT TO MOVE UPMARKET WITHIN VEHICLE SEGMENTS GIVEN RAPID ESCALATION OF AVERAGE PURCHASE PRICE IN THE U.S.

• NORMALLY WE'D TRY TO SELL CUSTOMERS A HIGHER-SERIES CAR THAT MAKES MORE PROFIT, BUT NOW WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON FAST-TURN PRODUCT, KEEP PRODUCTION MAXIMISED

• MAZDA CFO GUYTON: AS FOR NON-U.S. PARTS OF CARS MADE AT ALABAMA PLANT, IT VARIES BY MODEL, IT'S BETWEEN $2,000 AND $4,000 AT MOST OF NON-U.S. CONTENT IN THOSE VEHICLES

Source text: [ID:]