ASEAN car production jumps 28% in 8 months, PH remains laggard
Automobile production in ASEAN jumped 28.2 percent in the first eight months this year, but the Philippines remained the only car producer country in the region at almost zero growth, data from the laggard, data from the ASEAN Automotive Federation (AAF) showed.
AFF reported that total automotive production in the region reached 2,804,386 units in the January-August period this year or 28.2 percent higher than the 2,188,311 units in the same period last year.
But among ASEAN car producers, only the Philippines posted almost zero growth or 0.7 percent growth only with production units reaching only 54,918 units from 54,551 units in the first eight months last year.
Thailand, the ASEAN car production hub, reported a 14.4 percent increase to 1,225,776 units from 1,071,908 in the first eight months last year. Indonesia grew its car factory output by 33.2 percent to 920,376 units in the January-August period this year from 690,749 units same period last year.
Malaysia production grew 70.3 percent to 439,372 units from 258,024 units while Vietnam grew 43.6 percent to 160,856 units from only 112,024 units. Myanmar also grew 192.7 percent to 3,088 units produced from only 1,055 last year.
In terms of automotive sales, the AAF reported total sales of 2,206,605 units in the January-August period or 31.3 percent growth from 1,680,363 units in the same period last year.
Indonesia, the region’s biggest car market, was able to sell 658,232 units or 21.1 percent higher than the previous 543,424 units last year. Thailand’s sales also increased by 26.1 percent to 5898,863 units from 467,809 units last year.
Car sales in Malaysia jumped 62.9 percent to 447,209 units from 274,600 units last year. The Philippines improved its sales to 212,872 unit or 25.1 percent higher than the 170,112 units sold in the same period last year.
Sales in Vietnam already surpassed the Philippines with 262,940 units or 49.9 percent higher than the 175,400 units sold in the same period last year.
Singapore sales, however, declined by 31.6 percent to 28,910 from 42,246 units last year while Myanmar also decreased by 2.8 percent to 6,579 units from 6,772 units in the same period last year.