São Paulo – May was the best month ever for vehicle exports from Brazil, at 73,400 units shipped abroad, the National Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association (Anfavea) reported on Tuesday (6). The amount is up 51.1% from May 2016 and up 21.7% from April 2017.
Exports also reached an all-time high year-to-date through May at 307,600 units, up 61.8% from a year ago.
Export revenue reached USD 1.470 billion in May – including farming equipment, auto parts and services. The result is up 56.9% from a year ago and up 19.9% from April. Year-to-date through May, exports reached USD 6.040 billion, up 52.7% from the year-ago period.
“The result exceeded our expectations,” Anfavea chairman Antonio Megale told Agência Brasil. One out of every three cars made in Brazil are shipped abroad – mostly to Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Colombia, the chairman said. “Idle capacity remains near 80%. The export market is not enough to overcome domestic market fragility,” he said.
Output reached 237,100 units in May, up 33.8% from May 2016 and up 25.1% from April 2017. Year-to-date through May, 1,037 billion vehicles were assembled, up 23.4% from January to May 2016.
Domestic consumption amounted to 195,500 vehicles last month, up 16.8% from May 2016 and up 24.6% from April 2017. Year-to-date through May, domestic consumption amounted to 824,500 units, up 1.6%. Megale said the result was positive, since it was the first increase in output during the period since 2014.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
