U.S. auto industry sales seen slowly improving

The Americas unit of German auto parts supplier Robert Bosch ROBG.UL expects U.S. auto industry sales to fall 30 percent in 2009 but can see a market bottom with slow improvement, the unit's chief executive said on Monday.

"I think on the automotive side that we see the bottom now and that we could expect that for the remainder of this year that we see some slight improvement, but not a very significant jump," Peter Marks told Reuters Television in an interview.

"The consumer is still apprehensive to spend money because unemployment still seems to be rising and housing prices are down," Marks said.

He said the year would be difficult overall for Robert Bosch, the world's biggest auto parts supplier, "because the automotive (sector) is suffering."

"Even so, we are very globally represented as a company, and we are balancing some of the slow economy in the U.S. with a better-faring economy in China and in India," he said.

Robert Bosch continues to invest in research in development in the automotive sector, where it expects to see increasing focus in the United States with the adoption of strict mileage standards.