Passenger car sales were up 10.8% y-o-y in January to 11,460 vehicles, compared to 10,347 in January 2018, according to figures from the Automotive Information Council (AMIC) picked up by Al Mal. Locally-assembled vehicles, however, registered a 12.5% y-o-y decline. Bus and truck sales increased 12.1% and 3.1% y-o-y, respectively, during the month. Chevrolet was the best-selling car brand with a market share of 21%, followed by Hyundai and Nissan at 15% and 11%, respectively. The automotive industry has been rebounding since January 2018 following a slump that was exacerbated by the EGP devaluation in 2016. However, this month’s total increase in sales volume wasn’t as pronounced in recent months, including in October, September, and December (when a low base effect certainly helped). January 2019 was the first recorded month since the decision to slash to 0% import tariffs on EU-made cars, which would explain the sharp 44.5% y-o-y increase in car imports.