PH carmakers seen to top 2012 target, grow more in 2013
THE automotive manufacturers’ group had expressed optimism that it could exceed its target number of sales for 2012.

Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) President lawyer Rommel Gutierrez said that the group’s sales could surpass 180,000 vehicles in 2012 following the Philippines’ current economic climate.

“We may exceed 180,000 vehicles, most likely 182,000,” Gutierrez said, adding that sales could reach 200,000 units next year given the stable economy and the upcoming election period.

Mitsubishi Motors Phils. Corp. (MMPC) Executive Vice President Taizo Furuhashi recently said that the manufacturers’ group can hit the 200,000-unit mark.

“For 2013, we look forward to the automotive industry to break the 200,000-unit mark, but at the same time we expect competition to be a lot tougher,” Furuhashi said.

MMPC is eyeing to exceed its 1996 record of 36,533 vehicles sold by delivering 43,000 in 2013.

Gutierrez, a top executive at Toyota Motor Phils., said that it is possible to reach the 200,000-unit mark by 2013, adding that CAMPI has yet to announce a target for the year.

As of November 2012, CAMPI had posted an 8-percent increase as members sold 141,283 vehicles compared to the 130,812 moved during the same 11-month period in 2011. The group’s January-to-October sales also increased 7 percent with 126,663 sold compared to the 118,762-unit tally over the same period the previous year.

Gutierrez said that CAMPI is “poised to set record sales for 2012 based on year-to date-totals in November.”

“The industry’s performance in the first 11 months of 2012 has been strong because of the quick recovery of supply, disrupted in 2011 following the Great Eastern Earthquake in Japan and the flooding in Thailand,” he said.

Further, Gutierrez said that the country’s revitalized economy has caused demand to be at an all-time high.

“I am confident that December’s [2012] performance will propel industry sales further as we usually experience increased spending during the holiday season,” he said. “Consistent with previous reports, these figures strongly reflect the market’s demand based on actual customer deliveries reported by CAMPI members.”