National vehicle production rises 12% in the first quarter

SAO PAULO-the production of vehicles in the country rose 3.4% in March, compared to the same period last year. In total, automakers manufactured 319.1 million units last month, between cars, light commercials, trucks and buses.
The volume was 39.2% above the February production as balance sheet released recently by Anfavea, the entity that houses the automakers in the country.
Thus, the industry closed the first quarter with 827.7 million vehicles produced, 12.1% more than in the same period last year.
For 2013, the Anfavea expects a 4.5% increase, reaching about 3.5 million vehicles, which would be a record.
When considering only those passenger cars and light-commercial segments benefited by reducing the tax on industrialized products (IPI), the production totaled 298.4 thousand units in the third month of the year, a high of 3% in relation to the volume of a year earlier. In comparison with February, there was an increase of 40.5%.
Already the truck manufacturing advanced 6.6% compared to the previous year and 21.9% compared to February, a total of 16.9 million units last month.
Bus factories, production rose by 30.9% in March, compared to the same period in 2012. In total, 3.8 thousand buses were produced last month, 26.2% over February.
According to the Anfavea, the occupation in the automakers, including the agricultural machinery sector reached 151.9 thousand employees in March, at the same level.
Sales
New vehicle sales in Brazil fell 5.5% in March, compared with the same period last year, according to Anfavea.
In total, 283.9 million units were sold last month, between cars, light commercials, trucks and buses. In comparison with February-a month with two working days less than sale, was 20.8% growth.
The sector closed the first quarter with 830.5 thousand vehicles got their plates, showing growth of 1.5% in relation to the performance of a year earlier. Anfavea's forecasts point to an increase of 3.5% to 4.5% of the market this year, after sales of 3.8 million units in 2012, a record.
On Monday, Cledorvino Belini, President, kept the goal with the Government's decision to maintain reduced rates of tax on industrialized products (IPI) until the end of the year.
When considering only the passenger cars and the light, utilities were licensed 268.6 million units last month, 5.4% below the result a year earlier. In comparison with February, the growth was 20.6%.
The formal license plates of trucks fell 10.3 percent compared to March 2012, to 12.3 thousand units. Already at the turn of February to March, there was high of 23.2% in this segment.
The Anfavea also shows fall of 1.9% bus sales in March, compared to the same month last year. In February, there was growth of 26%, with 3 thousand buses got their plates.
Imports accounted for 19.4% of all vehicles sold in March, down from 21.2% in February.
Exports
The recipe of the Brazilian auto industry with exports reached US $ 1.39 billion last month, with a high of 4.3% compared to the same period in 2012.
By volume, shipments of foreign vehicles-cars, light commercials, trucks and buses totaled 43.5-thousand units in March, 3.1% above the performance of a year earlier.
In comparison with February, exports in the sector by volume, rose 37.1%. In revenue, exports, grew by 25.8% in comparison with February.
As a result, automakers have accumulated shipments of 111.5 thousand vehicles in the first quarter, almost at the same level of the same period in 2012, when 111.8 thousand units had been exported.
Year to date sales fell 2% as compared to the same previous period, amounting to US $ 3.49 billion.