US September light vehicle sales rise: BEA

US sales of light trucks and automobiles rose for the third straight month in September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 17.2mn units

The seasonally adjusted annual rate was up from a 17mn unit rate in August, according to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Sales were down from a 17.3mn pace in September last year.

Non-seasonally adjusted total light vehicle sales fell to 1.27mn in September, down from 1.64mn units the previous month. A total of 1.42mn units were sold in September of 2018.

Sales may slide further this month as union employees at 33 GM manufacturing plants are into a third week of strike, partly in reaction to GM's announced idling of five North American plants. GM and other auto makers are focusing on higher-margin SUVs, trucks and electric vehicles to the detriment of sedans. At the same time, the US-China trade war is weighing on business and consumer sentiment and slowing US growth.

Light truck sales, which include SUV's, were up to a seasonally adjusted pace of 12.54mn units in September, up from 12.42mn the previous month. Sales were up from a 12.07mn unit pace recorded in the previous September.

Auto sales totaled a 4.65mn unit seasonally adjusted annual rate in September, up from a 4.59mn unit rate in August. Sales were down from a 5.25mn unit rate in September of the previous year.

Foreign auto slump

Seasonally adjusted US sales of foreign autos in September were down for the third straight month at a 1.09mn unit rate, the lowest since 1969. September's total was down from a 1.19mn unit rate in August, according to the BEA. They were off from a 1.23mn unit rate in September of last year.

Foreign light truck sales rose to a 2.65mn unit rate in September from a 2.64mn unit rate in August and were up for a third month. They were up from a 2.77mn unit rate last September.

Seasonally adjusted sales of US-made autos rose to 3.56mn unit rate in September from a 3.39mn rate in August. They were down from 4.02mn unit rate the previous September.

Domestic light truck sales rose for the third straight month to a seasonally adjusted rate of 9.89mn units in September, up from a 9.77mn rate in August. Sales were down from a 9.30mn unit rate in September 2018.

Seasonally adjusted, US auto output was recorded at 213,200 units in August, down from 227,600 units in July. A total output of 213,000 units was listed in August of the previous year. Output is reported with a one-month lag.