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Today's Headlines Car Sales

  • Automotive Industry: Indonesia's May Car Sales Up, No Fundamental Improvement

    Domestic car sales in Indonesia (wholesales; from factories to dealers) surged 11 percent (y/y) to 87,919 vehicles in May 2016, the second straight month of rising car sales (on a year-on-year basis). However, Jongkie Sugiarto, Chairman of the Indonesian Automotive Industry Association (Gaikindo), reminded stakeholders not to become too enthusiastic as the rise in Indonesia's May car sales was caused by technical factors, rather than fundamental ones. Last month, the nation's car manufacturers began to deliver new models to dealers ahead of the Idul Fitri holiday.

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  • Indonesia's Automotive Industry Ready for Trans-Pacific Partnership?

    Last year Indonesian President Joko Widodo emphasized the importance for Indonesia to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as this free trade deal - one of the world's most ambitious trade deals, covering an area that contributes about 40 percent to total global trade - will make the Indonesian economy more efficient and its exports more competitive (while also expanding the nation's export base). However, there also exist concerns about a possible participation of Indonesia in this free trade deal. One of the concerns involves Indonesia's automotive industry.

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  • Indonesia's 16-Month Falling Car Sales Streak is Over

    Car sales in Indonesia grew 4.6 percent (y/y) to 84,703 vehicles in April 2016 from 81,000 vehicles in the same month last year. This is a remarkable result as monthly car sales growth (on a year-on-year basis) had been declining for 16 straight months previously. Stakeholders in the automotive industry hope that this is the start of a rebound, in line with accelerating economic growth. In the first quarter of 2016 Indonesia's economic growth accelerated to a growth pace of 4.92 percent (y/y), higher than the 4.73 percent GDP growth pace in the same quarter last year.

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  • Indonesia's Low Cost Green Car Not as Affordable as Planned

    The selling price of Indonesia's low cost green car (LCGC) has become more and more expensive. Initially, this type of car was launched on the Indonesian market in order to offer the people an affordable and relatively environment friendly car. However, rising selling prices of the LCGC and weaker purchasing power amid Indonesia's slowing economic growth trend that occurred since 2011 has made it harder for Indonesia's middle class to purchase a LCGC.

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  • Fitch Ratings & Gaikindo Expect Indonesia's Car Sales to Rebound

    Domestic car sales in Indonesia are expected to rebound in the second half of 2016 in line with Indonesia's improving macro-economy. Jongkie Sugiarto, Chairman of the Indonesian Automotive Industry Association (Gaikindo), is optimistic that the small drop in Indonesia's February car sales is a sign that the sales decline is stabilizing. In February 2016 a total of 88,250 cars were sold in Indonesia, down 0.6 percent (y/y) from car sales in the same month one year earlier. Fitch Ratings also expects Indonesian car sales to rebound this year.

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  • February Car Sales Indonesia Fall slightly, Cause for Optimism?

    An improvement has been detected in Indonesia's car sales. According to the latest data from the Indonesian Automotive Industry Association (Gaikindo) car sales in Indonesia totaled 88,250 units in February 2016. Although this figure is 0.6 percent down from sales in the same month one year earlier, the percentage fall is the slowest since August 2014. Noegardjito, Secretary of Gaikindo, said this limited decline came on the back of Indonesia's improving economy. However, February was still the 18th consecutive month of contracting car sales in Southeast Asia's largest economy.

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  • Indonesian Demand for Imported CBU Cars still Strong

    Despite the country's high import tariffs and the high luxury goods tax, there remains strong demand for imports of completely built up (CBU) cars in Indonesia. As the Indonesian government is eager to limit imports of consumer goods, it set an average import tariff of 45 percent on CBU cars. Besides this import tariff the imported CBU car is also subject to Indonesia's luxury goods tax at 20 percent. However, these high taxes have done little to curtail imports of CBU cars. The real reason why some foreign-branded imported CBU cars see declining sales in Indonesia is due to weaker purchasing power.

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  • Why Does Ford Motor Company Leave Indonesia and Japan?

    Although it was no surprise to hear that American car manufacturer Ford Motor Company decided to exit Japan, few expected the car giant to leave Indonesia. On Monday (25/01), Ford Motor Company announced it will have closed its sales operations in Indonesia and Japan by the end of 2016. This decision came nearly one year after American multinational corporation General Motors Company (GM) decided to shut down its Chevrolet Spin production plant in Indonesia. Why do major American (and European) car manufacturers have difficulty to tap the Indonesian car market?

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  • Car Sales in Indonesia Remain Slowing at the Year-End

    In line with expectations and the general trend so far this year, Indonesian car sales fell 4.4 percent to 87,311 units in November 2015. In the January-November 2015 period, the country's total car sales reached 940,317 units, down 16.7 percent from car sales in the same period last year. The main cause of this weak performance is Indonesians' weakened purchasing power amid the country's economic slowdown, high inflation (in the first three quarters of the year), and low commodity prices.

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  • Fitch Ratings about Indonesia's Insurance, Automotive & Motorcycle Industries

    New York-based Fitch Ratings, one of the three major global credit rating agencies, expects demand growth in Indonesia's life and non-life insurance sectors to occur over the medium term on the country's (currently still) low insurance penetration rate, improving risk awareness, and the expanding middle class segment within the rising population of Southeast Asia's largest economy. Meanwhile, the credit rating agency believes Indonesia's car and motorcycle sales will remain under pressure in 2016 due to weak consumer spending.

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Latest Columns Car Sales

  • Analysis: Car Sales in Indonesia Strong in First Four Months of 2013

    Indonesian car sales in the first four months of 2013 continued its robust growth. Preliminary data from Agen Pemegang Merek (Brand Holder Agent or APM) indicates that from January to April of 2013 397,991 car units were sold in Indonesia, which constitutes a 17.75 percent increase compared to the first four months of 2012. Toyota retained its position as market leader with a market share of 35.9 percent. However, sales of Honda and Suzuki vehicles are growing fast in Indonesia.

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  • Astra International (ASII) Presents First Quarter Results of 2013

    Astra International, Indonesia's largest listed company by market capitalization, presented its Q1-2013 financial results yesterday. The company, which represents the dominating force in Indonesia's automotive sector, posted a seven percent fall in net earnings (YoY) to IDR 4,310 trillion (USD $444.3 million) amid Indonesia's rising labour costs, weak commodity prices, increased competition in the country's car sector and effects of new minimum down-payment regulations in automotive Shariah-financing.

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  • The Ongoing Quest for the Reduction in Indonesia's Fuel Subsidy

    The heavily subsidized fuel price of Indonesia is likely to be raised next month according to Indonesian media sources. Various high officials, including Economic minister Hatta Rajasa, discussed the possibility to raise the fuel price from IDR 4,500 (USD $0.46) to IDR 6,500 (USD $0.67) per liter starting from May. This increase will only apply to private passenger cars, and not to motorcycles and public transportation. However, president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has not made up his mind yet.

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  • Local Governments and Private Sector Should Join Hands to Develop Infrastructure

    Indonesia's central government hopes that local governments team up with the private sector to develop the country's infrastructure. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that there are two ways through which local governments can stimulate its infrastructure development: cut expenses on other fields and use it on infrastructure development instead, or, invite the private sector to participate in public-private partnerships (PPPs).

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