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Philippines: Car, motorcycle industries continue to languish
MANILA, Philippines — Local production and sales of motor vehicles and motorcycles were down from January to August compared to last year’s performance as demand continued to languish due to the pandemic.
According to the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) Automotive Federation (AAF), motor vehicles assembled in the Philippines from January to August reached 39,171 units, 33 percent lower than last year’s 58,386 units.
All the Philippines’ neighbors in the region also registered lower motor vehicle output in the eight month period.
Indonesia saw the biggest drop in motor vehicle output as it produced 427,607 units as of end-August, down 49 percent from the previous year’s 831,662 units.
Southeast Asia’s automotive hub Thailand manufactured 812,721 motor vehicles from January to August, a 42 percent reduction from the 1.40 million units produced a year ago.
As of end-August, Malaysia’s motor vehicle output fell by 31 percent to 263,876 units from 380,552 units last year.
Vietnam’s motor vehicle output was reduced by 24 percent to 88,651 units in the eight month period, while Myanmar’s was trimmed by 11 percent year-on-year to 9,073 units.
Total motor vehicles made in the ASEAN were down by 41 percent to 1.64 million units from January to August compare to last year’s 2.80 million units.
When it comes to motor vehicle sales, AAF data showed almost all Southeast Asian countries registered a decline during the eighth-month period.
Philippine motor vehicle sales contracted by 48 percent to 123,489 units in the first eight months from 235,544 units a year ago.
Other ASEAN countries which reported lower motor vehicle sales from January to August are: Indonesia, down 51 percent; Malaysia, down 28 percent; Singapore, down 48 percent; Thailand, down 33 percent and Vietnam, down 25 percent.
Countries which registered higher motor vehicle sales in the eight month period are Brunei, up 9.3 percent and Myanmar, up 12.5 percent.
As of end-August, total motor vehicle sales in the ASEAN decreased by 38 percent to 1.40 million units from 2.27 million units a year ago.
AAF data also showed all ASEAN countries covered by the report produced fewer motorcycles and scooters in the first eight months.
Philippine motorcycle and scooter output slid by 59 percent to 323,138 units as of end-August from 789,827 units a year ago.
Malaysia produced 273,000 motorcycles in the January to August period, down 24 percent from 358,961 units a year ago.
Thailand’s motorcycle output dropped by 27 percent to 939,370 units in the eight month period from 1.29 million units last year.
As of end-August, ASEAN’s total motorcycle output was reduced by 37 percent to 1.54 million units from 2.44 million units a year ago.
In terms of motorcycle sales, all the ASEAN countries covered by the AAF report also saw dips.
Philippine motorcycle sales were down by 39 percent to 678,463 units in the January to August period from the previous year’s 1.11 million units.
As of end-August, Malaysia’s motorcycle sales dropped by 21 percent to 282,071 units, while Thailand’s were reduced by 15 percent year-on-year to 1.01 million units, and Singapore’s were cut by 49 percent year-on-year to 6,801 units.
Total motorcycles sales in the ASEAN fell by 26 percent to 1.98 million units in the January to August period from 2.67 million units last year.
With the pandemic affecting the demand for vehicles, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. said earlier the group is hopeful the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) would consider the impact of imposing safeguard measures on vehicle imports.
An investigation is being conducted by the DTI to determine if safeguard measures should be imposed on imported vehicles following a petition filed by the Philippine Metalworkers Alliance last year.
Safeguard measures which can be in the form of higher duties or quantitative restrictions, are applied when an increase in imports of a certain commodity are found to cause injury to the local industry.
Source: https://www.philstar.com/business/2020/10/05/2047148/car-motorcycle-industries-continue-languish