Vehicle sales slow down 10% in April

MANILA, Philippines — The automotive industry’s monthly sales declined year-on-year in April, the first time in over three years, as consumers held back on purchases amid market uncertainties.

A joint report released by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) and Truck Manufacturers Association yesterday showed that total sales reached 33,580 units in April, down by 10 percent from 37,314 units in the same month last year.

The last time monthly vehicle sales declined year-on-year was in February 2022, when sales dipped by 7.3 percent.

The number of units sold last month was also 16.7 percent lower than the 40,306 units sold in March.

Passenger cars sold in April fell by 35.5 percent to 6,498 units from 10,069 units in the same month last year. Commercial vehicles sold also dipped by 0.7 percent to 27,082 units from 27,272 units.

Sales of electrified vehicles reached 1,509 units in April.

Of the total electrified vehicles sold in April, 286 were battery electric vehicles (BEVs), 23 were plug-in hybrid EVs (PHEVs) and 1,200 were hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).

“While the overall market trajectory remains positive, the recent slowdown may be attributed to seasonal factors, economic conditions or evolving consumer demands,” CAMPI said.

According to CAMPI, the automotive industry’s leaders are closely watching market trends and are expecting further developments in the months ahead.

“The latest year-on-year and month-on-month decline in local vehicle sales in April 2025 may be partly attributed to increased US or global or local market volatility during the month,” Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort said in an email.

Ricafort said the announcement of US reciprocal tariffs on trade partners somewhat weighed on consumer and business sentiment, as higher US import tariffs or reciprocal tariffs could slow down global trade, investments, employment and overall economic growth worldwide, which could indirectly slow down the local economy as well.

He also said the election ban on some government spending including vehicle purchases prior to the midterm elections could also be a peculiar factor that could have also affected vehicle sales in April.

From January to April, total vehicle sales inched up by 2.5 percent to 150,654 units from 146,920 units in the same period last year.

Sales of passenger cars, however, slipped by 19.5 percent to 30,830 units in first four months from 38,280 units in the same period of 2024.

Commercial vehicle sales rose by 10.3 percent to 119,824 units in the January to April period from 108,667 units in the same period a year ago.

A total of 6,820 electrified vehicles were sold from January to April this year. These cover 978 BEVs, 98 PHEVs and 5,744 HEVs.

Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. remained the dominant market player with a 47.7-percent share in vehicle sales from January to April, followed by Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. with 19.8 percent and Nissan Philippines Inc. with 5.4 percent.