Production sold in the PKD 29 group (production of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers) in Poland amounted to PLN 121.4 billion in the first half of 2023, which means an increase of 21.4% y/y. Looking from the perspective of the end of October, we can already assume that new annual records in the value of sold production and exports will be set throughout this year, AutomotiveSuppliers forecasts. The employment situation is still more complicated, it was emphasized.
“The situation in the first six months of the year was stable – demand for new cars on EU markets was growing, which resulted in, among other things, to higher demand for components. In addition, the production of vehicles in Poland was increasing, e.g. at the Stellantis factory in Tychy, where the production of a new model – Jeep Avenger – was launched at the beginning of the year – said Rafał Orłowski, partner at AutomotiveSuppliers, quoted in the release.
At the end of the first half of 2023, the average employment in plants of the PKD 29 group, employing more than 9 people, was 201,000, it was also indicated.
“In 12 months, the number of jobs increased by over 5,000. (+2.1%). Average employment increases for the third quarter in a row. It is worth emphasizing that after the first half of 2023, we returned to the level last recorded 24 months ago. It is still far from the record that was achieved in the same period of 2019 (210.3 thousand),” added Orłowski.
In the first half of 2023, the export of the automotive industry increased year-on-year by 46.08% to EUR 26.1 billion (+EUR 8.24 billion). This is a new record for the first six months of the year. In the second quarter of this year an increase of 35.7% (EUR 13.22 billion) was recorded. 82.78% of the industry’s total exports from our country went to the EU markets (+48.99%), it was also reported.
“In the first half of 2023, almost all automotive product groups experienced double-digit increases in exports. Although, of course, it is still mainly the producers of parts and batteries for electric cars and vehicles (passenger cars, delivery vans and trucks) that have the greatest impact on the results achieved,” Orłowski noted.
Also in the export of parts and accessories, a new record was set for the first half of the year, which amounted to EUR 8.66 billion, i.e. 22.05% more y/y. Automotive components accounted for 33.16% of the industry’s total exports. Compared to the first half of last year, the share of parts and accessories decreased by 6.5 percentage points. EU markets accounted for 86.93% of all automotive exports (+21.32%).
Since the second half of 2021, we have been observing a steady strengthening of the second export position of lithium-ion batteries, which are used in electric cars. In the first half of 2023, compared to the same period last year, their exports doubled and reached a record value of EUR 6.37 billion (+110.8%), as indicated in the material.
In the first half of 2023, exports of passenger cars and passenger cars were worth EUR 3.39 billion. This is 36.3% more than a year earlier. This type of group accounted for 12.98% of all exports of the automotive sector from Poland (a decrease year on year by 0.93 percentage points), it was also reported.
“Looking from the perspective of the end of October, we can already assume that new annual records in the value of sold production and exports will be set throughout this year. The employment situation is more complicated. It is possible that the dynamics in the second half of the year may weaken significantly, and even decrease in the group of vehicle manufacturers. We would like to remind you that two bus factories (in Wrocław and Słupsk) will close their operations no later than the beginning of 2024, and production in another one (in Starachowice) will be limited. As a result, over 3,000 jobs in this group will be eliminated. jobs,” it concluded.
AutomotiveSuppliers is a company that has been monitoring the automotive industry in Poland and Central and Eastern European countries since 2008.