São Paulo – Brazilian vehicle exports increased by 62.3% in the first half of this year compared with the same period of 2009 and totalled US$ 5.73 billion, according to data disclosed by the National Association of Vehicle Manufacturers (Anfavea) at a press conference this Monday (12th).
The figure, which includes motor vehicles and self-propelled agricultural machinery, points to a resumption of exports, which totalled US$ 3.52 billion in 2009. Revenues from foreign sales, however, have not yet attained the pre-crisis levels recorded in 2008, when the total was US$ 6.8 billion.
“Exports have grown due to the hiatus of 2009. In the first half (last year), after the crisis, sales became frozen, Latin America froze, orders were scrapped,” said the chairman of the Anfavea, Cledorvino Belini. According to him, the international market is recovering, but has not reached the level of 2008 yet.
Belini claims that the segment is capable of exporting much more, and is working to learn how to increase its competitiveness. The leading foreign market for Brazil is Argentina, to which 39.8% of exports are shipped.
Volume-wise, foreign sales of motor vehicles and agricultural machinery totalled 357,500 units from January until June, as against 200,800 in the same period last year. Similar to the revenues, the shipped volume has not reached the level recorded in the first half of 2008, when the total was 381,200 vehicles.
This year, the Anfavea forecasts that foreign sales should total 530,000 units, representing growth of 11.5% over 2009. Last year, 475,300 vehicles were exported, and in the previous year the figure was, 734,500.
The resumption of exports, however, impacted on domestic motor vehicle production, according to Belini. From January until June this year, automakers operating in the country manufactured 1.75 million vehicles, as against 1.47 million in the same period of 2009. There was growth of 19.1%, according to data supplied by the Anfavea.
The number of vehicles registered in the first half also grew, by 9%, and totalled 1.58 million units. In June alone, 262,800 vehicles were registered. According to Belini, the increase is a consequence of increased credit. During the month, automakers had inventories to last ten days.
The strong domestic market also favoured imports, which grew by 35%. In the first half this year, Brazil imported 282,600 vehicles, as against 209,300 in the same period of last year. In other words, the increase in sales of vehicles manufactured out of the country was higher than the market’s overall rate of growth, which was 9%. A significant share of imports came from Mexico and Argentina. “These countries attained good levels of competitiveness. They are managing to place their products here in Brazil, whereas we are not achieving the same ability to compete abroad,” said the Anfavea’s chairman.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
