Motorcycle sales up 4.7% in Jan from July

MANILA, Philippines — Members of the Motorcycle Development Program Participants Association Inc. (MDPPA), composed of Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha, registered a 4.7 percent growth in sales in the first seven months of the year.

In a statement yesterday, the MDPPA said its members sold a total of 932,220 motorcycles from January to July, higher than the 890,720 units sold in the same period last year.

“With this notable feat, MDPPA conducted a comprehensive review of its sales targets for the balance year,” the group said.

The members unanimously agreed to achieve a modest, yet steady five percent growth rate for motorcycle sales from August to December.

“This aspiration aims to culminate in an impressive cumulative sale of 1.6 million units by the end of 2023, surpassing the already remarkable 1.5-million-unit threshold achieved in the preceding year,” the MDPPA said.

The group, however, noted that the projected growth is likely to be significantly affected by worldwide and local economic factors.

“Rising prices and the lingering impacts of the pandemic, such as supply chain issues and a mix of rise on in-person and remote work setups, have contributed to a situation of slower growth,” the MDPPA said.

MDPPA president Norminio Mojica said that the sales performance during the first semester could potentially mirror that of the subsequent semester.

“Drawing from historical trends, the months of September, October, and November have consistently exhibited heightened sales volumes, whereas the months of August and December have maintained an average profile in terms of monthly sales,” Mojica said.

Earlier data from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Automotive Federation (AAF) also showed that the Philippines’ motorcycle and scooter production jumped by 57.4 percent in the first half to 694,94 units, the highest growth among ASEAN countries tracked by AAF.