The Association of Southeast Asian Automobile Manufacturers Association (AAF) reports that Indonesia took the lead in car sales with more than one million units in 2023, down 4 percent over the same period last year. Malaysia was in second with 799,731 units, an increase of 10.9 per cent compared to 2022, meanwhile Thailand came in third with 775,780 units, a decrease of 8.7 percent compared to 2022.
Philippines stood fourth with 429,807 cars, an increase of 21.9 percent compared to 2022. Vietnam dropped to fifth with 301,989 cars, down 25.4 percent compared to the figure of 2022. They were followed by Singapore and Myanmar with 38,670 vehicles and 3,357 vehicles respectively in 2023.
According to the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA), in 2023, all three vehicle segments decreased sharply. Passenger cars decreased by 27 percent, commercial vehicles decreased by 16 percent and specialised vehicles decreased by 56 percent year-on-year.
In specifics, 181,380 locally assembled cars and 120,600 CBU vehicles were sold, down by 20 percent and 32 percent compared to 2022, respectively.
These figures did not include sales from non-member brands such as VinFast, Audi, Jaguar, Land Rover, Nissan, Subaru and Volkswagen, as they have yet to publicise their sales data. VinFast currently does not provide monthly sales data in Vietnam.
According to experts, the auto industry has been experiencing a decline due to various factors such as unpredictable developments in the economy and unstable bank interest rates. These factors have affected the purchasing power of people, leading to a slowdown in car sales.
To address this situation and stimulate the market, the Government has implemented certain measures. One of these measures is a 50 percent reduction in registration fees for domestically produced and assembled cars from July 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023. In addition, businesses have been encouraged to support the remaining 50 percent of the fees or provide 100 percent fee incentives for imported cars. However, despite these efforts, the auto market has not achieved a significant breakthrough in sales
It is anticipated that car purchasing power may improve in early 2024 due to increased shopping needs associated with the celebration of the Lunar New Year. However, the future purchasing power in the following months remains uncertain, as car manufacturers may adjust their incentives and business policies, potentially impacting sales.
