MANILA, Philippines — The motor vehicle industry ended 2011 with a negative growth of 4 percent over 2010 with all product categories posting decline in sales weighed down by two disastrous events – Japan earthquake early last year and the Thailand flooding late in the year – that affected the supply chain of the industry.

A report by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) showed its 16 members sold only a total of 141,616 units versus 147,488 units in 2010.

Of the sales figure, the passenger car segment contributed 44,862 units reflecting a substantial 8 percent decrease from 48,739 units sold in 2010. The commercial vehicle segment also declined by 2.02 percent to end the year with a lower 96,754 units as against 98,749 units sold in 2010.

In terms of product categories, the Asian utility vehicle (AUV) category was 2.5 percent down with sales of only 35,851 units from 36,783 units in 2010.

The light commercial vehicles (LCV), mostly sports utility vehicles and is the most popular vehicle category in terms of sales, contributed 57,962 units but was still 1.7 percent short compared to the 58,956 units of 2010.

Sales of light trucks posted the smallest decline of 0.6 percent with sales hitting 1,862 units from 1,873 units while the trucks and buses category ended the year with a negative 5.1 perent to 1,079 units from 1,137 units.

Sales for the month of December, which is historically the highest sales month the entire year, took a beating with supply problems following the Thailand flooding. Thailand is the Philippines major source of completely built up vehicles.

Based on the CAMPI report, its members were able to sell a total of 10,374 units or a substantial 24.5 percent decline from December 2010’s sales of 13,749 units. Of this sales figure, there were only 3,073 units of passenger cars sold or 31.5 percent down from 4,487 units in the same period last year while sales of commercial vehicles was likewise down 21.2 percent to 7,301 units from 9,262 units in the same month last year.

Sales from the AUV category posted a 21.8 percent decline to finish the year with 2,816 units from 3,703 units while the LCV category was able to sell only 4,210 units from 4,748 units or 11.3 percent lower.

The trucks and buses category took the hardest beating with 45.5 percent decline in sales to 121 units in December last year from 222 units in December 2010.

The light trucks category was the exception with a 0.7 percent positive growth with sales of 154 units from 153 in December 2010.

Among the 16 CAMPI members, industry leader Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. sold 54,593 units or a negative 4 percent from 56,855 units it sold last year enabling the company to maintain its 2010 market share of 38.55 percent.

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. posted a modest 0.6 percent improvement in 2011 sales to 32,603 units from 32,422 units in the same period last year. (BCM)