Vehicle production increased 15.1% in October compared to the same month last year. 206,000 units were manufactured in 2022 compared to 179,000 in 2021. The figures are in the monthly balance sheet of the National Association of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (Anfavea), released today (8).

In relation to September, there was a drop of 0.8% in the production of automobiles, light commercial vehicles, trucks and buses. In the accumulated from January to October, the high is 7.1%, totaling more than 1.9 million units this year.

Sales increased by 11.4% in the comparison between October and the same month of 2021. 180,900 vehicles were licensed in October and 162,300 in the same period last year. Compared to the previous month, sales fell by 6.7%. In September, 194 thousand units were traded.

According to Anfavea, sales on the last day of the month were impacted by roadblocks by protesters who protested against the result of the second round of the presidential election.

According to the president of Anfavea, Márcio de Lima Leite, normally, the last day of the month concentrates the highest sales volume. Leite assesses that 6,000 to 9,000 units are no longer sold. “We delivered 9,000 on the last day [of October] and, comparing it to other last days of each month, it was always around 14,000, 15,000 units. More or less this should also be the impact on production”, calculates the president of Anfavea.

If the last business day were disregarded from the account, there would be a growth of 2.3% in the comparison of sales between September and October.

Automobile production

Considering only automobile production, 164,700 units were manufactured in October compared to 135,200 in September 2021, an increase of 21.8%. In September, 156.7 thousand cars were produced, which represents a monthly increase of 5.1%. Year-to-date, growth is 9.1%, with the production of more than 1.5 million vehicles in this segment.

Leite added that the semiconductor crisis remains the industry’s biggest challenge. “We had a meeting with several CEOs [company executive directors] and they always point to the same situation, the need for greater supply, but it has been a little less critical, less chaotic than it was a few months ago.”

Exports

Exports grew 43.5% in October compared to the previous year, with the sale of 42,800 vehicles. In relation to September there was also an increase of 49.8%. In the previous month, 28,500 units were sold abroad. From January to October, the increase is 32.4% compared to the same period in 2021, with exports of 406,300 units.

“Export growth has a slightly different configuration than what we are used to. Of this growth, 75% is related to Mexico and Chile, no longer to Argentina”, said the president of Anfavea. Traditionally, Argentina was responsible for the large volume of exports in the sector.

Leite points out that this reveals that the Argentine market remains an opportunity for the Brazilian industry. “These exports do not take into account the Argentine market with the potential it has.”

For Márcio Leite, this is due to measures taken by the Argentine government. “The restriction of exchange, visas, imports with a slower pace of clearance… We said that the sector was following [the situation] to see what would happen and, in fact, we do see a lower market share Argentine in our exports.”

Employment and stock

The sector has 188,900 vehicles in stock, which represents 31 days of sales, with 114,600 at dealerships and 74,300 at factories. Leite recalls that in 2019, before the covid-19 pandemic, this volume reached 360 thousand units and pointed to 45 days of stock.

“We have 188 thousand, half of what existed in 2019, in the pre-pandemic scenario, and with 31 days. Within normality, there is no expectation that this stock will go down. It will always stick to that parameter,” he projected.

The vehicle industry employed 1.7% more in October compared to the same month last year, from 102,600 people to 104,300. In relation to September, there was a fall of 0.2%, reducing the number of workers to 104.6 thousand.

Source: Agência Brasil