On May 8, 2009, Toyota reported a record annual net loss of US$4.2 billion,[citation needed] making it the latest automobile maker to be severely affected by the global financial crisis that started in 2007. Toyota's financial unit had asked for an emergency loan from a state-backed lender on March 16, 2009, with reports putting the figure at more than A$3 billion. It said the international financial situation was squeezing its business, forcing it to ask for an emergency loan from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation. This was the first time the state-backed bank has been asked to lend to a Japanese car manufacturer