Volkswagen sales rise 11.9 percent in July

(AP) German carmaker Volkswagen AG says sales rose 11.9 percent in July as demand in Asia and the United States outweighed slacker sales in crisis-hit western Europe.

The company sold 468,300 vehicles worldwide during the month, up from 418,600 a year ago.

Volkswagen said Wednesday that for the first seven months of the years, its sales were up 10.4 percent to 3.26 million, aided by increases in the Asia-Pacific region including China. The company sold 1.14 million cars in China over the period, up 15.2 percent and ahead of Europe at 1.05 million.

Sales fell 5 percent in western Europe excluding Germany. The eurozone crisis over too much government debt has weighed on growth, sending countries such as Italy and Spain into recessions while Greece, Portugal and Ireland have needed bailouts.