Sales of imported vehicles rose 198 percent in June from the previous month but first half sales are still down 55 percent.
A report of the Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors Inc. (AVID) showed June sales reached 3,697 units from 1,239 in May and bringing to 19,455 total sales year-to-date.
Sales in the first half of 2019 stood at 43,082 units.
As of June, sales of passenger cars plunged 60 percent to 6,111 units from 15,279 units a year ago while those of commercial vehicles decreased 51.6 percent to 13,207 units from 27, 300 units last year.
Sales of commercial vehicles meanwhile fell 73 percent to 137 units from 503 units in 2019.
While June has shown significant sales and recovery highlighting pent-up demand during the lockdown, AVID said many factors may continue to dampen industry sales in the coming months.
Despite said drop across major segments, the auto industry is expected to undergo gradual improvement with more relaxed guidelines in the coming months and the reopening of more businesses, the 21-member AVID said.
“While AVID members and their partner dealerships have gone to great lengths to COVID-proof their facilities, strengthen online e-commerce assets, and offer extraordinary promotions and deals to win back customers and encourage buying, headwinds remain.
These include lower remittances, weaker demand, and the prospect of a second wave, so we can’t let our guard down,” said AVID president Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo.
