Auto industry reports on gloomy 2012 figures

January 10, 2013 | 16:32

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The Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers’ Association’s (VAMA) latest report revealed December 2012 sales reached 9,983 units, up 4 per cent versus November 2012.

Of the total, 3,858 cars and 6,125 trucks were sold. Completely-knock down (CKD) volume reached 7,701 units, down 1 per cent against November and completely built units (CBU) totalled 2,282 units, up 28 per cent month-on-month.

According to VAMA’s chairman Laurent Charpentier, the 2012 calendar year was among the most difficult faced by the domestic motor manufacturing industry in the last decade, with total sales reaching 93,000 units, marking a 33 per cent year-over-year decrease against 2011.

“Most of 2012’s decline can be attributed to increases in existing fees and taxes or proposed new taxes or fees that are set to be introduced in the near future,” said Charpentier in VAMA’s report.

VAMA consensus 2013 auto industry in the range of 100,000 units or an 8 per cent increase.

Andreas Klingler, general director of Prestige Sports Cars Company Limited, official importer of Porsche in Vietnam, said 2013 could be a difficult year for the Vietnamese car industry if the government failed to improve the wider economy.

Porsche was believed to have sold 79 cars last year.