Export sales at rise for Proton despite COVID restrictions

KUALA LUMPUR: Covid-19 has made life difficult for everyone, but over time people and industries have found ways to adapt. For instance, Proton has registered a 98-month high in export sales last month despite pandemic-related restrictions overseas.

In May, Proton delivered 669 units in total making it the best export sales month for the automaker since 2013. Also, its total year-to-date volume is 174 percent of the target set, putting it 6 percent behind last year's figures.

Proton’s rising export numbers are attributed to the brand’s popularity in several key markets like Pakistan. For the first five months of the year, the country came to be the best performer for the automaker. The next biggest contributors to its export sales are Egypt (with 350 units) and Brunei.

Also Read: Brunei gets X70 Exclusive Edition, limited to 37 units only

Future expansion plans -

Proton is looking to kick-start local assembly lines for models in its export market. In Kenya, the automaker recently started Saga’s assembly and now Pakistan is all set to commence a local assembly line of Proton models (Saga, followed by X70) in Karachi.

Furthermore, Proton has a big task in hand, that’s to achieve sales growth in the ASEAN region to meet its long-term goals. At the moment, its presence in the region is limited to Brunei, and to be the third best-selling brand in the region it has to acquire strong grounds in Thailand and Indonesia.

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