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Auto trade group: Puerto Rico sales will be ‘stable’ in ’14

GUIA President José Ordeix

GUIA President José Ordeix

The United Group of Automobile Importers, (known as GUIA for its initials in Spanish), predicted Wednesday a stable 2014 for auto sales in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, after wrapping 2013 with virtually flat results.

In 2013, automobile sales were comparable to those for 2012, with a total of 102,641 units sold in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, compared to 102,550 units sold in 2012.

“The year 2013 was full of challenges for our industry. We experimented growth in the initial months of the year, however, that trend did not continue in the subsequent months,” said José Ordeix, GUIA president, during a news conference.

“We will continue to offer the best service for our clients in 2014, combined with state of the art technology and we will keep fulfilling the current vehicle demand on the island, keeping with consumers expectations,” he added.

Car sales dropped 11.3 percent in Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands during December 2013 when 11,024 were sold, which represent 1,408 units less than those sold the same month in 2012.

GUIA is an independent, nonprofit organization created in 2006 to manage issues directly related to the automobile industry, as well as Puerto Rico’s general economy. GUIA members represent more than 96 percent of total new vehicle sales in Puerto Rico.

GUIA, as the entity that represents the automobile industry in Puerto Rico, has undertaken the responsibility of keeping the press and citizens informed about all topics pertaining the industry.

On Wednesday, the trade group joined the ever-growing chorus of private-sector voices to express its concern over the effects of the national tax passed last year by the Treasury Department to shore up revenue for the cash-strapped government. The group said the additional tax will likely represent a burden on the auto business as a whole.

Author Details
Author Details
Business reporter with 30 years of experience writing for weekly and daily newspapers, as well as trade publications in Puerto Rico. My list of former employers includes Caribbean Business, The San Juan Star, and the Puerto Rico Daily Sun, among others. My areas of expertise include telecommunications, technology, retail, agriculture, tourism, banking and most other segments of Puerto Rico’s economy.
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