Automakers have worst first half in four years

Confirming the expectations of analysts and companies in the sector, June figures show that the World Cup further deepened the slump in consumption of cars in Brazil. Last month closed down 17.3% under formal license plates of the same period in 2013. Compared to may, the recoil was 10.2%.
In total, 263.6 million vehicles among passenger cars, SUVs, light trucks and buses were sold in June, which raises to 7.6% fall of plates issued in the first half, up from 5.5% of accumulated up to the month of May.
In the first six months, Brazilians bought 1.66 million vehicles. Since 2010, when 1.58 million units had been emplacadas in the same period, the automakers did not have a first half so bad. The negative difference compared to volumes of 2013 136 thousand of vehicles, or the equivalent of almost 10 full days of sale.
The industry was already feeling the effects of the price increase, given the withdrawal of part of the discounts in the tax on industrialized products (IPI) at the turn of the year and the mandatory installation of new safety devices (airbag and antilock brakes) in all cars, in addition to the lower propensity to spend by a consumer more indebted and less confident. Are factors that, according to the automakers and utilities, add up to the selectivity of banks in credit release.
But in June the movement at dealerships got even worse. Four Brazilian national team games-three on weekdays and a last Saturday, when the shops also tend to open doors-plus the Corpus Christi holidays or enacted by cities that receive World Cup matches have led to a more commercial calendar is insignificant.
Only the formal license plates of cars and lightweight utilities of 251 thousand units in June, down 17.2 percent compared to the same month last year and 9.8 percent compared to may. Analysts said falling 19% to 25% in the months of the World Cup.
But the volumes also fell in heavy vehicle market, which had been sketching reaction after the simplification of procedures for financing the capital of Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (BNDES), the great engine of sales of commercial vehicles. In June, the licensing of trucks showed low of 19.8% compared to the previous year. Compared to may, the indentation in this sector was 17.6%.
Today, the Fenabrave, entity which houses the car dealerships, discloses the consolidated balance sheet of the results of the last month, including the participation of brands. Preliminary numbers show that leadership continues with Fiat in the car market, with 20.4% of the total, followed by Volkswagen (18.2 percent), again ahead of General Motors, which had 17.3% of sales in the period.
On Monday, the Anfavea Association of automakers, discloses its balance sheet, which, in addition to sales, includes production, exports, inventories and the level of employment of the vehicle manufacturers. Despite the Government's confirmation that the new round of increase in IPI was postponed for January 2015, the entity shall revise downward projections pointing to growth of 1.4% 1.1% of production and sales by 2014.
Last month, the auto industry kept cutting cycle of production. Part of automakers gave collective vacations, while other granted time off to workers on days when the Brazilian team came on the field, as did Fiat, GM and Ford, in addition to Hyundai, in Piracicaba, and Mercedes-Benz, in the ABC paulista.
Anfavea's numbers show that automakers had already eliminated 4.7 thousand jobs during the first five months of the year. Already the Caged informs, in the same period, cutting more than 9 thousand jobs in transport materials segment, which includes the suppliers of vehicle manufacturers.