master ▁and ▁the ▁Alb ion . ▁ ▁Dec line ▁ ▁Rec ession ▁and ▁high ▁production ▁costs ▁Com mer cial ▁vehicle ▁manufact ur ers ▁wanted ▁government ▁protection ▁from ▁import ation ▁to ▁ensure ▁a ▁v ibr ant ▁car ▁market ▁that ▁will ▁be ▁worthy ▁of ▁sust ained ▁invest ment ▁and ▁that ▁will ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁local ▁supp lier ▁industry . ▁However , ▁by ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁reduction ▁in ▁cru de ▁oil ▁prices ▁from ▁the ▁height s ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁led ▁to ▁foreign ▁exchange ▁and ▁import ▁controls ▁and ▁r ation ing ▁that ▁neg atively ▁impact ed ▁car ▁production ▁and ▁caused ▁production ▁del ays . ▁The ▁assembly ▁plants ▁were ▁capital ▁int ensive ▁and ▁dep ended ▁on ▁import ation ▁of ▁parts ▁from ▁abroad ▁but ▁the ▁demand ▁for ▁knock ed ▁down ▁parts ▁placed ▁stra in ▁on ▁foreign ▁currency ▁market . ▁The ▁government ▁was ▁not ▁gener ous ▁in ▁providing ▁import ▁lic enses ▁to ▁the ▁companies ▁and ▁sometimes ▁ship ments ▁were ▁delayed ▁at ▁the ▁ports ▁until ▁proper ▁lic enses ▁were ▁obtained . ▁By ▁ 1 9 8 5 , ▁all ▁the ▁commercial ▁tr uck ▁plants ▁were ▁producing ▁below ▁ 3 0 % ▁of ▁their ▁capacity ▁and ▁sust aining ▁losses . ▁Tow ards ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁the ▁government ▁initi ated ▁market ▁liberal ization ▁measures ▁that ▁allowed ▁more ▁imported ▁cards ▁to ▁comp ete ▁with ▁locally ▁made ▁vehicles . ▁Volks wagen ▁and ▁P AN ▁increased ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁their ▁vehicles ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁a ▁dep reci