MANILA - The Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. said vehicle sales in June went up by a quarter year-on-year amid the improvement in member-firms supply chain.
In a statement, the group said its members sold a total of 13,697 units last month from 10,935 units the same month in 2011. This brought first-half sales to 72,874 units from last year's 69,782.
"The local automotive industry continues to exceed monthly forecasts and perform better than expected because of these favourable situations," Campi said, referring to the return to normal of member-firms' supply chain and an improving economy.
Toyota Motor Philippines kept its lead, capturing 40 percent of the market, followed by Mitsubishi with 23 percent and Honda with 8 percent.
"We are very pleased to end the first semester of the year on a high note. This is indeed a positive sign that the local automotive landscape as a whole is on track to recover lost sales opportunities from earlier in the year. In addition to this, we would like to showcase our strong performance and kick start the 2nd half of the year by holding the 4th Philippine International Motor Show," said Rommel Gutierrez, president of Campi.
The increase in the industry's sales came on the back of Ford Motors' decision to shut down its manufacturing plant in Sta. Rosa, Laguna by the end of the year. The US carmaker sells less than 1,000 units in the Philippine market.
"Use all levers"
Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo on Tuesday said he cannot say whether the US carmaker's export strategy was wrong, adding that the decision was made from a global standpoint.
"But their pullout is a signal that the Philippines is still lacking," Domingo said.
He said a roadmap that the government and the industry are drawing up would include measures on how to increase the domestic car market so there would be economies of scale for manufacturers. The roadmap also should identify gaps in the supply chain and "figure out how to fill in those gaps," he said.
But sales cannot surge unless per capital income in the Philippines hits $2,000, Domingo said.
The government however is "willing to use all levers" to achieve the desired market size, such as giving incentives "allowable by law," he said, without providing details on the perks.
source: interaksyon.com
