Report: P.R. new car sales up 5% YOY in June
GUIA President Ricardo M. García.
The United Group of Automobile Importers announced Wednesday that new car sales were up 5 percent year-over-year in June, with some 8,378 units sold.
Accumulated demand so far this year is still 2.6 percent above the same period last year, the nonprofit known as GUIA, which represents Puerto Rico’s auto industry’s major players, confirmed.
“The increase in the month’s sales was primarily due to a 134.1 percent increase in the minivans segment, a 40.8 percent increase in pickups and a 16.5 percent increase in sub-compact sedans, which were largely related to purchases by daily fleet companies,” said GUIA President Ricardo M. García.
“These purchases are typical for this time and managed to stop the two consecutive months that we had, with results below the previous year. However, those purchases have historically dropped from now through the tourism winter season, so we’re worried about what may happen during the second half of the year,” he said.
GUIA pointed out that, regardless of whether there has been growth in a particular period, the sector “cannot drop its guard.”
“On the contrary, at this time of economic downturn is when we have to put up a fight for one of the industries that contributes the most to the government’s coffers,” concluded García.
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 23 auto brands and more than 96 percent of total new vehicle sales in Puerto Rico.
