|
Automobile Imports Increased 20%
in 2006
Costa Rica imported a total of
46.484 new and used automobiles
in 2006, 20% more than in 2005
with 38.860 imported vehicles.
That makes it an average of 127
vehicles were imported each day,
while in 2005 the number was
106.
The imported vehicles represents
5.6% of the 830.379 vehicles
registered in the country,
according to the records of the
Instituto Nacional de Seguros
(INS), who collects the
obligatory insurance on each
vehicle through its issuance of
the "marchamo" - circulation
permit.
Records indidcate that the
vehicles has a "valor fical"
(tax value) of ¢145.600 million
colones (us$280 million
dollars).
According to figures by the
Ministerio de Hacienda and the
Dirección General de Aduanas
(Revenue Ministry and customs
department), 64% of the vehicles
(29.570) were used, while the
rest were new vehicles.
Hacienda says that the value of
the used vehicles amounted to
us$25 million dollars or an
average of us$2.795 per vehicle.
José Carballo, president of the
Cámara Costarricense Automotriz
(Costa Rican Automotive Chamber)
- which groups together used car
importers - confirmed the
increase in importations and
assured that the trend will
continue for 2007.
"There is a new government, the
economy is growing and inflation
is under control", said Carballo,
indicating that those factors
are the main reason for the
increase in imported vehicles.
Javier Quirós, president of the
Asociación de Importadores de
Vehículos y Maquinaria (Aivema)
- which groups importers of new
vehicles - also agrees that
vehicle imports will continue to
increase. The total number of
new cars imported in 2006 was
16.915, 26% over the number
imported in 2005 (13.412),
Quirós said that the average
value of each new car imported
during last year was us$11.646.
|
|
