Car manufacturers express concern over safeguard measurers
MANILA – While car sales showed an improvement of 12.2% with a total sales of 26,230 units last February compared with 23,380 units sold last January. The Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI and the Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) voiced concerns over safeguard measures up for implementation of provisional import duties.
CAMPI President Rommel Gutierrez said they welcome the industry’s double-digit recovery brought about by positive growths across all categories. The AUV category grew by about 30% while Light Trucks posted 23.4% growth. Heavy-duty trucks recovered by 19% and buses recovered by 39%.
“CAMPI expresses concerns on the imposition of safeguard measures. While the industry sees early signs of recovery, the provisional import duties, more so if it becomes definitive, will derail any recovery efforts of the automotive industry. Rather than restricting imports, a better incentive scheme must be crafted to attract investments for local production of motor vehicles,” CAMPI President Gutierrez said.
The industry’s year-to-date sales reached 49,610 units or equivalent to a 7.3% decline as against the same period a year ago. (Melo M. Acuña)
Atty. Rommel Gutierrez, CAMPI President. (File Photo/Melo M. Acuna)
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