Up to the end of May, the total Year-To-Date (YTD) export volume is at 174% of the target set and only 6% behind what was achieved for the whole of 2020.
Proton director of international sales Steven Xu said the company's plan for 2021 was to aggressively grow Proton’s export sales volume at the beginning of the year.
Xu.
“Despite international restrictions and the rising cost of shipping caused by the coronavirus, we were confident of being able to meet our goals due to the sales plans of our importers and the appeal of our products.
“After five months however we are close to doubling the volume target set, which hopefully is a sign for more success in 2021,” Xu said.
Proton said Pakistan is a new market for the company and was by far the best performer for the first five months of 2021.
Brunei which started selling Proton vehicles in 1987, was the third biggest export market by volume this year and in May, importers PAD Motors had the best sales month in company history.
Alpha Ezz El-Arab, the importer and distributor for Proton cars in Egypt, has already received 350 units this year, making it Proton’s second largest export market.
Proton also said the assembly of its models in its export markets was vital for the company to achieve its long-term goals.
Following the local assembly of the Proton Saga in Kenya, the next market to assemble cars locally will be Pakistan.
Flag-off ceremony of CKD shipment to Kenya in 2020.
“If everything goes to plan our partner in Pakistan, Al-Haj Automotive, will begin assembly operations with the Saga by the end of July or early August at its new plant in Karachi.
“The X70 will be added to their production line later, and we have high hopes this development will spur sales growth in the South Asian region,” said Xu.
Proton also said while the wider acceptance of the Proton brand and its products internationally, the key to achieving the company’s long-term goals remained with sales growth in Asean.
The region is hotly contested with many global brands having invested in production facilities that supply local and export markets as well as competition from locally grown manufacturers.
New Proton logo in the X70 SUV.
Proton’s presence in Asean is limited to Brunei but the company has plans to return to the two biggest markets in the region, Thailand and Indonesia, in the very near future.
Xu said Proton needs to have a major presence in Thailand and Indonesia if it wants to be the third best-selling brand in Asean.
“As the biggest automotive markets in the region, they offer enormous volume potential, but the level of competition is also very high.
“For both countries, we have been busy recruiting partners to build a network that ensures a viable business model and in the short term, our target is to return to Thailand in 2022,” said Xu.
