BEIJING, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Among the 183 vehicle production bases that have reported their resumption plans to the association, 59 bases have already resumed production as of February 12, accounting for 32.2 percent, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) on Thursday.
The association disclosed that except in the hard-hit areas by the epidemic, auto enterprises in other regions are doing their best to resume production, and strive to minimize the epidemic impact.
According to the CAAM, the production and sales of vehicles in China were 1.783 million units and 1.941 million units in January, respectively, down 24.6 percent and 18.0 percent year-on-year.
The association said that the Spring Festival holiday fell in January this year, leading to fewer effective working days, which is the main reason for the drop in auto production and sales in the month.
The CAAM expected the country's automotive industry at the beginning of the year to end its in-depth adjustments in 2019 and gradually recover in the next few years. However, the sudden outbreak of novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) epidemic has disrupted the normal pace of the industry. In the short term, the production and sales of automobiles will be impacted, and the parts supply chain will be disrupted.
It is also predicted that in the long-term, the emergence of the epidemic may accelerate the optimization and adjustment of the industrial structure. Competitive enterprises may obtain more market resources and achieve better development. (Edited by Hu Pingchao, hupingchao@xinhua.org)