Sales of imported cars rise 3-fold in May

MANILA, Philippines — Sales of imported vehicles in the country jumped by more than three times in May from a year ago as pandemic restrictions eased.

In a statement, the Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors Inc. (AVID) said the number of vehicles sold surged by 293 percent to 4,864 units from only 1,239 units in the same month last year.

Passenger car (PC) sales soared by 191 percent to 1,029 units from 354 the previous year.

Sales of light commercial vehicle (LCV) leapt by 335 percent to 3,814 units in May from 876 units a year ago.

Commercial vehicle (CV) sales increased by 133 percent to 21 units  from only nine last year.

On a month-on-month basis, vehicle sales went up by eight percent from the 4,496 units sold in April.

AVID’s total sales from January to May grew by 59 percent to 25,217 units.

As of end-May, total vehicle sales climbed by 29 percent to 6,357 units. LCV sales posted a 68 percent increase to 18,128 units while CV sales jumped 625 percent from 101 units.

The National Capital Region, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal shifted to general community quarantine with heightened restrictions last May 15, after being placed under the stricter modified enhanced community quarantine in April, and under the most restrictive quarantine classification in the latter part of March.

“We attribute the gradual improvement in AVID sales to our members’ tireless commitment to provide customers with quality vehicles and after sales service that will see them safely through life’s many journeys. We all must keep on pitching in to weather this storm and to bring us all closer to our dreams in the new normal,” AVID president Ma. Fe Perez- Agudo said.