This report addresses trade and industry conditions for motor vehicles for the period 1997-2001. U.S. motor vehicle production decreased from 12.1 million units in 1997 to 11.4 million units in 2001. Production by the Big Three (General Motors, Ford, and the Chrysler division of Daimler Chrysler) registered an average annual percentage decrease of 2.4 percent, while total U.S. production registered an average annual percentage decrease of 1.3 percent. During the period, the Big Three share of U.S. production decreased from 80 percent in 1997 to 76 percent in 2001. Japanese and German transplants picked up the slack, accounting for 22 percent and 2 percent, respectively, of U.S. production in 2001, up from 20 percent and less than 1 percent in 1997. Because the U.S. market is the largest in the world, and is generally considered to be among the markets most open to imports, import consumption is high. During 1997-2001, sales of imports as a percentage of total motor vehicle sales increased each year, from 13 percent of retail sales in 1997 to 18 percent in 2001. Although subsidiaries of U.S. automakers, primarily in Canada, are a major source of U.S. imports of passenger vehicles, imports from Japan exert the greatest competitive pressure on U.S. automakers. U.S. imports from Japan accounted for approximately 10 percent of U.S. passenger car sales in 2001, and 9 percent of U.S. light truck sales. However, Japanese automakers rely heavily on their U.S. assembly plants to serve the U.S. market. Japanese nameplate vehicles, regardless of place of assembly, accounted for 27 percent of U.S. passenger vehicle sales in 2001. Other leading sources of motor vehicle imports include Mexico, Germany, and Korea. Sales of passenger vehicles to individual consumers and businesses account for most sales and are roughly equal. Sales to Federal, State, and local governments account for a very small percentage of total U.S. car sales. Trends in motor vehicle sales in the United States are dominated by cyclical macroeconomic trends in the U.S. economy. Typically, sales downturns of several years follow several years of sales growth. Passenger vehicle sales are highly representative of the health of the U.S. economy and are considered to be an important leading economic indicator.


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    Title :

    Industry and Trade Summary: Motor Vehicles


    Publication date :

    2002


    Size :

    82 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English