Local automakers returned to production more than half a million units during 2022, a record that has not been reached since 2015. And the total number has even passed, until it is in the highest number in eight years.
The reported it Automotive Manufacturers Association (ADEFA), which stated that during the month of December the automotive terminals produced 37,119 vehiclesa 6.9% down of the same month of the previous year.
That decline was due to the terminals They advanced their technical stops in December compared to a year ago, given that overall they closed in December with fewer working days.
But throughout the year the production was even 536,893 units of cars, pick ups, SUVs and commercial vehicles (trucks are not calculated by ADEFA).
This figure represents a 23.5% increase over 2022 production and is the highest in eight years, from 617,329 in 2014. also passed the 527,657 of 2015.
This was stated by the head of ADEFA, Martín Galdeano (Ford), for this year They hope to produce more.
“It is premature to provide an annual projection and, as we usually do at ADEFA, we await the development of the first quarter to share the estimates. However, we can say that we expect 2022 to be positioned like the floor for the level of our operations,” said the manager.
In Argentina there are nine factories of “light” vehicles, as the industry calls them cars, pick ups, SUVs and utilities. The one that produced the most vehicles is Toyota (in Zárate), followed by its competitors Fiat, Renault and Nissan (Córdoba), Peugeot-Citroën (dovecote), Ford and Volkswagenn (General Pacheco), General Motors (Rosary) e Mercedesbenz (The massacre).
The local industry is completed with the producers of trucks and busesheavy vehicles. Currently manufacturers are iveco (Córdoba), Mercedes Benz trucks and buses (The killing) e agral (with an establishment in the city of Mercedes in Buenos Aires, it is not a member of the ADEFA chamber). Next year, the heavy vehicle division of Volkswagenwhich has announced a $50 million investment to start truck production at its auto parts factory in Córdoba.
Galdeano stressed that the investments of companies in the last 24 months add up $1.4 billion. The most important is the Ford (US$580 million for the launch of the new Ranger, expected this year) and several investments from Volkswagen for 300 million dollars between General Pacheco and Córdoba. Also Toyota announced a $60 million investment to incorporate a third shift at its Zárate plant and increase its production capacity to 182,000 units annually.
The other side of this impulse is the lack of dollars to keep up with the pace of production. Throughout 2022 several plants had to stop for missing auto partsto which was added the prolonged conflict between the producers of tyres and the SUTNA guild.
Last month, in fact, the technical shutdowns of the factories started a little earlier than December 2021 and not necessarily due to a technical problem or a staff vacation. In various car manufacturers they assured, in off, that they had taken advantage of the imminence of the end of the year to bring forward the suspension and To gain some time to ensure the stock of auto parts.
As regards exports, 22,605 units were shipped abroad in December (152% more than in the same month of the previous year), for a total of 322,286 vehicles exported24.3% more than in the same period of 2021.
As is the case with manufacturing, the export of vehicles in 2022 It was the highest since 2014.
In the January-December cumulative, the sector recorded 376,257 units of wholesale sales, 12.5% more than in the same period of 2021.
Source: Clarin
