Vehicle production fell 34.4% annually in March due to the impact of the coronavirus

The national production of vehicles during March, with just 14 days of activity, was 19,164 units, 26.7% less than February and 34.4% below the record for the same month last year, the Association reported today. of Automotive Factories (Adefa).

The impact of the movement restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic was also reflected in exports and wholesale sales, since the official concessionaires had to stop the activity since March 20, when the isolation was decreed.

Thus, in the third month of the year, the automotive terminals produced 19,164 vehicles, that is, 26.7% less than the volume recorded in the previous February and registered a 34.4% drop compared to the 29,227 units that were produced in March last year.

In the accumulated of the first quarter, the sector reached 65,980 units produced (cars and utility vehicles), which marked a contraction of 4% compared to 76,692 units in the same period of 2019.

The report reported that the volume of vehicles exported last month was 13,928 units, which showed a drop of 23.1% compared to February.

If the comparison is against the same month of 2019, the sector recorded a drop in shipments of 33.9%, Adefa noted.

In the accumulated from January to March, the sector exported 40,734 vehicles, that is to say, a 15% drop was registered in comparison with the same period last year when 47,919 units were shipped to various markets.

Finally, with regard to wholesale sales, in March the automotive sector sold 18,922 units to the dealer network, 30.4% less compared to February deliveries and 43.9% below the volume of the same month of the year past.

In this way, the accumulated figure for the year showed that wholesale sales to dealerships stood at 71,840 units, that is, 23.7% less compared to the same period in 2019 in which 94,150 vehicles were sold.

After releasing the production figures, the president of Adefa, Gabriel López said that “in the face of the health crisis caused by Covid-19, the industry, conscious of protecting the health of employees and the community in general, took action to mitigate the effects of the pandemic by ratifying the commitment to adopt health prevention measures. “

In this context of “responsibility and commitment, the total stoppage of activity in the sector places the automotive industry in a position that generates concern throughout the value chain”, a situation that adds to the “critical situation” that it had been going through in the last years.

That is why Adefa confirmed that it will continue “analyzing various measures in conjunction with the Government, the chain and other industrial entities in search of mechanisms to mitigate the impact, prioritizing the protection of working capital and the most sensitive links.”