The tumultuous economy of Pakistan has wreaked havoc on numerous industries, with the auto sector taking the brunt. According to a recent update, Pak Suzuki Motor Company (PSMC) has extended its bike manufacturing plant shutdown due to a lack of inventory.
The official notification suggests that the motorcycle assembly will be suspended from September 1 to 12. With the US dollar exchange rate getting sky-high, Suzuki may increase prices following the resumption of production.
The previous shutdown was announced from August 18 to 31, also due to a decline in inventory levels.
An Industrywide Issue
Suzuki is not alone in its struggle, as the entire bike industry is facing a downward spiral in sales and production.
According to the data from the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers’ Association (PAMA), bike sales stood at 73,588 units, down 11% in July 2023 compared to the previous month. Atlas Honda, Pakistan’s biggest bike maker by production and sales volume, sold 62,012 bikes, down 17% month over month (MoM).
Pak Suzuki sold just 957 motorcycles in July, up 164% compared to June 2023. Yamaha sold 675 motorcycles in July, down 28% compared to the previous month. Sales of Chinese motorcycles fell by up to 80% compared to June.
With the ongoing rupee depreciation and import hurdles, the current dire situation is expected to continue.
Follow ProPakistani on Google News & scroll through your favourite content faster!
Support independent journalism
If you want to join us in our mission to share independent, global journalism to the world, we’d love to have you on our side. If you can, please support us on a monthly basis. It takes less than a minute to set up, and you can rest assured that you’re making a big impact every single month in support of open, independent journalism. Thank you.
