Honda sets milestone

Record production for Honda in North America last year helped the Japanese automaker become a net exporter in the U.S. for the first time ever.

The company exported 108,705 U.S.-made Honda and Acura vehicles to countries around the world, while it imported 88,537 vehicles from Japan. Output at its seven auto plants in North America topped 1.78 million vehicles, including 1.31 million at U.S. factories.  The milestone underscores the company's investment in the region, including its assembly plant in Lincoln. That plant finished 2013 with 333,556 vehicles produced, just shy of its record 2012 output. The Alabama plant produced more than 20,000 vehicles for export to 49 countries.