The Lebanese car market had its worse summer in decades thanks to the war and a two-month sea blockade, with the number of new registered cars dropping 81% in August compared to the same month last year. The sector is only slowly clawing its way back, with sales down 41% for September. With the economy running on half empty, tough times lie ahead. “The car market is in complete chaos right now, millions of dollars have been lost,” said Samir Homsi, President of the Association of Car Importers in Lebanon (ACIL) and CEO of Impex Trading, the local representative for Chevrolet and Hummer. Car dealers had high expectations for the summer, with 1.6 million tourists expected to visit the country and the economy picking up after a sluggish 2005 that was marred by a spate of bombings following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February. “We were
