Volvo Truck Sees U.S. Market Normalizing

STOCKHOLM, Dec 10, 2002; Reuters reports that Swedish truck maker Volvo said on Tuesday it saw its key U.S. market returning back to "normal levels" by the third quarter of 2003.

Demand in the first half of next year would suffer, after buyers bought more trucks than normal in 2002 ahead of a change in emission control regulations in the U.S. on October 1 this year.

"This will effect sales a lot and the first half next year will be quite calm, while sales will return in the third and fourth quarters," said the head of the group's truck making unit, Jorma Halonen.

"This year we are looking at U.S. total sales of 170,000 and next year will be about the same level," he told Reuters in an interview.