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Consumer Confidence, Tariffs Likely To Ding U.S. Auto Sales In Q4 And Next Year: Cox Economist
Friday September 27, 2019
Forbes, September 27, 2019 — Facing threats including shaky consumer confidence, and potential new tariffs on imported autos and auto parts, it looks like U.S. auto sales will be down in the fourth quarter, down for 2019 overall, and down again next year, according to Cox Automotive.
One wild card: Automakers could resort to “fire sale” incentives at year end, but Cox Automotive doubts it.
In a webinar on Sept. 26, Smoke said he’s also concerned about consumer confidence. “You’re starting to see the consumer worry about the future. Eventually, that translates to slower spending on big, durable items like automobiles,” he said. “That’s obviously the most negative switch this year.”