US May auto sales up 1.6% on higher truck purchases

HOUSTON (ICIS)–US sales of new vehicles in May rose by 1.6% from the same month last year, with gains for light trucks continuing to offset losses for passenger cars, according to an AutoData report on Tuesday.

New vehicle sales for the month totalled over 1.635m units, the US-based auto research firm said.

May sales of light trucks rose by 6.8% year on year. However, sales of passenger cars fell by 3.7%.

Among the major US automakers, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and General Motors posted gains of 4.0% and 3.0%, respectively. Ford sales in May fell by 1.3%.

US auto sales are a key indicator of the strength of the nation’s chemical industry, especially for polymers such as acrylonitrile-butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC) and nylon; butyl acetate for paints and coatings; and styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) in tyre production.

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