The president of the National Association of Vehicle Distributors (Anadive) stated that the crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented shortage of vehicles in the automotive industry, significantly impacting the Dominican Republic.
César de los Santos revealed that car sales in the country have dropped from 90,000 to 60,000 per year. “Under normal circumstances, 85,000 to 90,000 new and used cars are sold here each year. Last year, it was rumored that 55,000 to 60,000 were sold, representing a reduction of almost 40%,” he explained.
De los Santos further explained that the crisis has caused the price of used cars to rise by up to 20%, making it practically impossible for the public to afford them.
In an interview on the D’Agenda program with reporter Héctor Herrera Cabral, the business leader said that despite this situation, dealers have been able to clear their inventories because people have been buying despite these high prices as they have no other alternatives.
De los Santos added that, due to the lack of vehicles, Anadive suspended fairs for the last two years since they have nothing to offer to buyers.
“The most awaited fairs are those of Banreservas and Popular, which mean Christmas bonuses for dealers because a significant portion of their inventories is sold. Today, we will offer what we have at the Banreservas fair, and whatever is left will be for the Banco Popular fair,” he said.
De los Santos warned those who own a vehicle in good condition not to sell it, as they risk not being able to obtain the car they want.
He said he expects to return to normal next year, but at the same time, distributors will do everything possible to meet customer needs.
Regarding vehicle production, César de los Santos said that what is happening in the automotive industry is unprecedented. Before the pandemic, the annual production of cars was 95 million, and currently, it is around 75 million.
