Southeast Asian First-Half 2016 Sales Show 2% Uptick

TOKYO – New-vehicle demand in Southeast Asia grew 2% between January and June and is on track to exceed 2.9 million units for the full year, according to statistics published by the region's major automotive industry associations.

Through June, sales totaled 1,467,160 units including 531,929 in Indonesia, the world’s fourth-most populous country; 368,639 in Thailand; 275,459 in Malaysia; 167,481 in the Philippines; and 123,661 in Vietnam.

Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam registered sales growth: 1%, 27%, and 35%, respectively. Thailand was unchanged. Malaysia deliveries declined 14.5%.

By segment, commercial vehicles accounted for 451,992 units, or 31% of sales.

The market held steady despite the effects of an economic slowdown in Indonesia linked to a contraction of the Chinese economy along with lingering effects of political instability in Thailand.

Japanese brands accounted for an estimated 85% of demand in Southeast Asia. The region’s largest market, Indonesia, reported import sales of 40,197 units, 8% of the total.

Meanwhile, production in the region’s big three auto manufacturers – Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia – grew a marginal 1% to 1,857,804 units in the year’s first half. Thailand, the main production center in the region for Nissan and Mitsubishi, produced 993,380 units, far below 2012 peak levels.

Car output in the three markets totaled 1,117,285 units, unchanged from January-June 2015.

Thai manufacturers exported 575,073 units, nearly 60% of production.