Recent Updates
- Hong Kong: Movements of Aircraft, Passenger and Freight (Apr)
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Economy in Brief
U.S. Retail Sales Posted Solid Rise in April
Notwithstanding falling real incomes and declining confidence measures, consumer spending posted a solid increase...
U.S. Home Builder Index Took a Steep Drop in May
This is the fifth straight month that builder sentiment has declined...
U.S. Empire State Manufacturing Index Declines in May
The Empire State Manufacturing Index of General Business Conditions dropped thirty-six points...
Surging Imports Send the EMU Trade Scene Deeper into Deficit
The trade balance for the Euro Area fell sharply to 17.5 billion euros in March...
U.S. Import Prices Hold Steady While Export Prices Rise in April
Import prices held steady m/m (+12.0% y/y) in April...
Viewpoints
Commentaries are the opinions of the author and do not reflect the views of Haver Analytics.
The Many Links of Inflation Cycle: Hard Landing Is Needed to Crack Them
Peak Inflation & Fed Policy: A Relationship Which Should Worry The Fed And Scare Investors
Why Have the Yields on TIPS Been Negative in the Past Two Years?
"Core" GDP Suggests Economy Gained Momentum in Q1:2022
by Tom Moeller December 3, 2012
Car buyers were out in force last month. Unit sales of light motor vehicles during November jumped 8.7% m/m (14.7% y/y) to 15.54M (SAAR) according to the Autodata Corporation. The latest figure surpassed the Consensus estimate for 14.8M sales, according to Bloomberg.
Auto sales gained 8.0% m/m (21.7% y/y) to 8.04M. Domestic car sales gained 7.4% to 5.55M (28.1% y/y) while imports rose 9.5% (9.4% y/y) to 2.49M. Light truck sales increased 9.4% (8.0% y/y) to 7.50M. Domestic light truck purchases increased 8.5% (9.4% y/y) to 6.49M while sales of imported light trucks rose 15.9% (-12.4% y/y) to 1.00M, which was roughly unchanged y/y.
Imports' share of the U.S. light vehicle market ticked up to 22.5% in November. (Imported vehicles are those produced outside the United States.) That share was down from its peak of 29.9% in Q1'09. The lower foreign exchange value of the dollar played a role as it made imports relatively more expensive. Imports' share of the U.S. car market gained to 31.0% but remained down from its 37.8% monthly peak in 2010. Imports' share of the light truck market increased to 13.4% last month, down from its 23.9% peak in early '09.
The U.S. vehicle sales figures can be found in Haver's USECON database.
Light Vehicle Sales (SAAR, Mil. Units) | Nov | Oct | Sep | Y/Y % | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | 15.54 | 14.29 | 14.96 | 14.7 | 12.83 | 11.58 | 10.38 |
Autos | 8.04 | 7.44 | 7.69 | 21.7 | 6.29 | 5.79 | 5.45 |
Domestic | 5.55 | 5.16 | 5.32 | 28.1 | 4.26 | 3.78 | 3.56 |
Imported | 2.49 | 2.28 | 2.37 | 9.4 | 2.03 | 2.00 | 1.89 |
Light Trucks | 7.50 | 6.85 | 7.27 | 8.0 | 6.54 | 5.79 | 4.93 |
Domestic | 6.49 | 5.98 | 6.30 | 9.4 | 5.54 | 4.84 | 3.96 |
Imported | 1.00 | 0.87 | 0.97 | -0.0 | 1.00 | 0.96 | 0.97 |