São Paulo – Automobile sales increased by 60.1% in March, at 353,738 units sold, as against 220,957 units in February. March was the last month of effectiveness of the reduced Tax on Industrialized Products (IPI) for the purchase of new vehicles. The data were disclosed today (7th) by the National Association of Vehicle Manufacturers (Anfavea).
According to the Anfavea, the average in March was the best ever, exceeding the one recorded in September last year, which was the previous record-high sales figure, at 308,700 units. Compared with March of last year, when 271,442 automobiles were sold, the rate of growth was 30.3%.
From January until March, 788,007 units were sold, representing growth of 17.9% over the same period of last year.
According to the Anfavea, vehicle production grew by 32.5%, with 330,980 vehicles manufactured, as against 249,799 in February. In comparison with March 2009, the output increased by 20.3%. Year-to-date, the auto industry produced 826,669 units, representing growth of 24.4% compared with the vehicles produced in the same period of last year (664,447).
Exports increased by 9.4% in March, with 57,929 units sold in the foreign market. In February, 52,933 units were exported. In comparison with March of last year, exports grew by 66.6%. In the first quarter of the year, there was growth of 82.7%, with 159,152 automobiles sold abroad.
There was also growth of 0.8% in the number of employees hired by the auto industry, with a total of 127,764 workers at automobile manufacturing companies. In comparison with March of last year, there was growth of 4.7%.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
