Auto, motorcycle sales, output decline in H1

MANILA, Philippines — Production and sales of motor vehicles and motorcycles continued to post double-digit decline in the first half as operations were affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Data from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Automotive Federation (AAF) showed motor vehicles assembled in the Philippines reached 27,919 units in the first semester – 31.3 percent lower than the 40,626 units in the same period last year.

Other Southeast Asian countries also recorded lower motor vehicle output for the first six months of the year.

Southeast Asia’s automotive hub Thailand posted the biggest drop at 43 percent as it manufactured 606,132 units in the January to June period from 1.07 million units a year ago.

As of end-June, Malaysia’s motor vehicle output went down 42 percent year-on-year to 166,049 units, while Vietnam’s production fell 38 percent year-on-year  to 57,532 units.

Indonesia’s capacity decreased 38 percent year-on-year to 369,545 units and Myanmar’s slid 20 percent to 6,077 units.

ASEAN produced a total of 1.23 million motor vehicles in the first half, down 41 percent from the previous year’s 2.08 million units.

In terms of motor vehicle sales, most Southeast Asian countries registered a reduction in the first six months of the year from a year ago.

Motor vehicles sold in the Philippines plunged 51 percent to 85,041 units in the first semester from  174,135 units last year.

Other ASEAN countries with lower year-on-year motor vehicle sales in the January to June period are Indonesia with a 46 percent drop, Malaysia with a 41 percent decline, Singapore with a 57 percent reduction, Thailand with a 37 percent decrease and Vietnam which slid 31 percent.

On the other hand, Brunei’s motor vehicle sales rose 13 percent year-on-year to 6,582 units as of end-June, while Myanmar’s grew seven percent to 9,537 units in the first semester from last year.

Total motor vehicle sales in ASEAN were slashed by 41 percent to 993,643 units in the first half from 1.69 million units the previous year.

For motorcycle and scooter assembly, the Philippines, like all its neighbors, churned out fewer units in the first six months of the year from a year ago.

In particular, the Philippines produced 233,948 units in the January to June period, down 60 percent  from the 583,484 units last year.

Malaysia’s motorcycle output was trimmed by 30 percent to 181,223 units as of end-June from a year ago, while Thailand’s dropped 30 percent year-on-year to 682,515 units in the first semester.

ASEAN’s total motorcycle output slid 40 percent to 1.10 million units in the January to June period from the previous year’s 1.82 million units.

All countries covered by the AAF report registered a drop in motorcycle sales in the first half.

Motorcycle sales in the Philippines slipped 46 percent to 451,034 units in the first semester from last year’s 830,987 units.

As of end-June, Malaysia’s motorcycle sales declined 27 percent year-on-year, while Thailand’s dipped 18 percent year-on-year and Singapore’s decreased by 49 percent year-on-year.

ASEAN’s motorcycle sales fell 31 percent to 1.38 million units in the January to June period from 1.99 million units a year ago.

Earlier, Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. president Rommel Gutierrez said it may take time for the industry to recover as the challenges posed by the health crisis are affecting demand for vehicles.

Despite the challenges, he said automotive firms are utilizing digital platforms and implementing aggressive campaigns to push sales.