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US light vehicle sales fall in April

  • Märkte: Metals, Oil products
  • 02.05.19

US sales of light trucks and automobiles fell to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 16.4mn units in April,matching its lowest level since August 2017.

The monthly sales rate was down from a 17.4mn unit rate in March, according to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). The April level matched a prior low set in February. Light trucks and automobiles sales totaled a 17.2mn unit rate in April 2018.

Non-seasonally adjusted, total light vehicle sales fell to 1.33mn units in April from 1.61mn units in March. They were down from 1.35mn units in April last year. Light truck sales were down to 934,400 units in April from 1.12mn units the prior month, while car sales fell to 396,200 units from 489,400 units in March.

Major US producers Ford Motor and GM are focusing on producing light trucks, including SUVs and electric vehicles (EVs), as they move away from the less profitable sedan autos. GM said 80pc of the company's sales in the first quarter of 2019 were trucks and crossover vehicles. The company also invested $300mn in its Orion, Michigan, plant to produce a future Chevrolet electric vehicle.

Auto sales fell to a 4.79mn unit seasonally adjusted annual rate in April from a 5.03mn unit rate in March. They were down from a 5.32mn unit rate in April of the previous year.

Light truck sales, which include SUV's, fell after two months of gains to a seasonally adjusted pace of 11.64mn units, down from 12.41mn in March. Sales were down from an 11.88mn unit pace recorded in the previous April.

Domestic auto sales were down to a 3.59mn unit rate in April from the 3.89 unit pace in March. They were also down from a 4.08mn unit pace in April 2018.

US sales of foreign autos increased to a 1.2mn unit rate in April from a 1.15mn unit rate the previous month. They fell from a 1.24mn unit rate in April 2018.

Domestic light truck sales fell to a seasonally adjusted rate of 9.13mn units, down from a 9.76mn rate in February, which was the highest rate since October 2001. April 2018 domestic light truck sales were recorded at a 9.09mn unit rate.

Foreign light truck sales fell to a 2.51mn unit rate in April from a 2.66mn unit rate in March. They were down from a 2.79mn unit rate last April.

Seasonally adjusted US auto output was recorded at 203,500 units in March, down from a 222,200 units in February. Output is reported with a lag.


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