Sask. forecast to post record vehicle sales

31 Jan 2012

The StarPhoenix

LEADER- POST STAFF

Sask. forecast to post record vehicle sales

“VEHICLE SALES IN ALBERTA POSTED A DOUBLE-DIGIT INCREASE LAST YEAR,”

CARLOS GOMES

REGINA — Alberta and Saskatchewan will lead Canadian car and light truck sales higher this year, according to a the Scotia Economics global auto report released Monday.

“Alberta will continue to be Canada’s growth leader,” said Carlos Gomes, Scotia Economics senior economist and auto industry specialist. “Vehicle sales in Alberta posted a double-digit increase last year, climbing to 218,000 units — the fourthhighest on record. We expect volumes in Alberta to advance a further three per cent to 224,000 units in 2012,” Gomes said in a press release.

Gomes said vehicle sales in Saskatchewan posted a “robust” seven-per-cent gain last year to a record 50,000 units.

“We expect Saskatchewan to be the only province to post record car and light truck sales in 2012, with purchases climbing to 51,000 units, up from 50,000 last year and an average of 43,000 per annum over the past decade,” Gomes added.

Elsewhere in Western Canada, vehicle sales in Manitoba increased by six per cent last year, and purchases are expected to reach 48,000 units in 2012 — the highest level since 2002, and 13 per cent above the decade average.

Passenger car and light truck purchases in British Columbia are expected to perform in line with the national average, climbing a moderate one per cent this year to 160,000 units, up from 158,000 in 2011.

Nationally, preliminary data for January point to a strong start to the year, a development consistent with Scotia Economic’s projection that Canadian sales will climb to 1.605 million units in 2012 — the fifth highest annual total on record.

Vehicle sales in Ontario increased two per cent last year to 589,000 units. Scotia Economics expects purchases to edge up to 593,000 units in 2012, a level marginally below the decade average.

Car and light truck sales in Quebec were weaker than expected in 2011, falling two per cent to 408,000 units, in line with the average of the past decade. Scotia expects sales in La Belle Province to inch up to 409,000 units.

Vehicle sales in Atlantic Canada also fell by two per cent last year to 120,000 units, with the declines concentrated in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador due to declining consumer confidence. Scotia is forecasting a small increase in sales in 2012.