CAMPI: Sales down 11.8% in Jan. 2020

MANILA: Car and truck sales were down by 11.8% in January, according to a joint report by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) and Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA). Member companies sold a total of 23,723 units, down from 26,888 units in January last year.

Atty. Rommel Gutierrez, CAMPI president, attributed last month’s performance to the recent Taal Volcano eruption, which disrupted operations. “(A) majority of plants and some dealerships located in South Luzon were badly hit by ashfall, also affecting operations in some areas of Metro Manila. Some companies were also forced to temporarily suspend its operations for safety reasons,” said Gutierrez in a release. 

Passenger car (PC) segment sales were down by 22.9% in January compared to the same month last year. Category IV trucks and buses recorded the biggest tumble by percentage – with sales declining by 29.8% in January this year versus January 2019 (233 versus 332 units). All other categories registered declines, save for Category V buses (up by 4.5% [from 110 to 115 units>) and AUVs (up by 2.9% [from 2,410 to 2,479 units>).

Gutierrez said, however, that the industry is still “brimming with optimism,” and anticipates recovery in the coming months now that operations are back to normal. Underscored the executive: “We will continue to work double time to catch up on last month's losses. We assure our customers the highest level of quality in our products and services because safety and consumer satisfaction are our priorities.”

On a month-on-month basis, sales were down 29.6% -- expected as part of an industry-wide “seasonal pattern for the past years.” CAMPI said it had come from a sales surge in December 2019.

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