(File photo)
MANILA – The surge in coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases and mobility restrictions due to the fast-spreading Omicron variant has hit the performance of local vehicle manufacturers at the start of the year.
The Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) and the Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) reported Friday that sales of local car assemblers in January this year declined 11.2 percent to 20,765 units from 23,380 units in the same month of 2021.
All segments registered lower sales last month led by a 20.7-percent drop in sales of passenger cars to 5,784 units from 7, 295 units in January last year.
Commercial vehicle sales also decreased by 6.9 percent to 14,981 units in the previous month from 16,085 units in January 2021.
In sub-segments of commercial vehicles, Asian utility vehicles dropped by 21.4 percent to 2,452 while light commercial vehicles slipped by 3.5 percent to 11,893 units.
In a statement, CAMPI president Rommel Gutierrez said the industry expected a “bleak growth” last month as sales are historically sluggish at the start of the year coming from higher sales growth during the holiday season.
“Unfortunately, we cannot dismiss the impact of tighter restrictions re-imposed in January as new cases of Covid-19 rose particularly in NCR (National Capital Region) and nearby provinces, resulting in a lukewarm reception for big-ticket items spending,” Gutierrez said.
He added that the industry wishes to see a continued recovery this year.
“The pandemic is something that the industry will have to continue dealing with during these uncertain times just like other industries even with the rollout of the vaccines. Hopefully, the Covid-19 will be contained in the foreseeable future so we can all get back on track to recovery,” Gutierrez said. (PNA)
