08/05/2020 - 17:27
- Clarín.com
- Economy
- Economy
Local vehicle production in July was 21,316 units , 36.1% more than June and 1.5% below the same month last year , according to the Automotive Manufacturers Association (ADEFA) reported today.
Although the comparison against July of last year is when the automotive industry was already in full crisis (in 2019 it touched its lowest floor in 15 years), it is no less true that now, in the midst of a pandemic, almost traced production levels were achieved to those of a year ago . Just a few months ago, during April, for the first time in its recent history, Argentina did not produce any vehicle.
Over the past month, almost all of the auto factories that had reopened worked at the rate of one daily shift, in some cases overtime, while others that had been closed joined. This week the last of the automakers that was still not manufactured, the Cordovan truck factory from Iveco , added to series production .
Iveco resumes truck production in Córdoba
According to the ADEFA report, the sector exported 9,612 vehicles, 39.8% more compared to the previous month and 51.7% below the volume that was recorded in July 2019.
In wholesale sales, the sector sold 22,475 units to the dealer network, a volume that was 5.5% below the previous month, and contracted 42.7% compared to July last year.
In the first seven months of the year, including periods of low activity such as March and May, and of zero activity such as April, the accumulated production is 107,755 vehicles, which represented a 41.1% decrease in its comparison with the same period January-July 2019.
Regarding exports, the sector shipped 62,834 vehicles abroad, 50.8% less than the 127,599 units that were sent to various markets between January and July 2019.
In wholesale sales to the domestic market (both domestic and imported models), the terminals sold 22,475 vehicles to their dealer networks in the month and 145,633 units accumulated in January-July, with a year-on-year drop of 35.7%.
The head of ADEFA, Daniel Herrero, called for "to resume joint work with the value chain, the unions and the Government with the firm objective of not only addressing the challenges that the post- pandemic situation will present at the international and local level, but also the transformation technology that is taking place worldwide in the sector. "And he highlighted the work of the Foreign Ministry to open markets in Central America ." It is important to advance in improving access to those markets, "he added.
