CV production suffers September slowdown
UK commercial vehicle production declined 11.7% in September, with 7,320 units manufactured, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Output for crucial overseas markets was up some 25.4%, but production for the domestic market fell 44.5%.
Factories turned out some 7,320 CVs in the month, almost 1,000 fewer than in the same period in 2018, with the majority (66.7%) built for shipping to European and global markets. Performance in the year to date remains down, falling by 13.2% overall, driven by the decline in export orders, down more than 7,400 units. Production for the UK is also down, by 2.6%, although only four in 10 British-made CVs remains in the UK given the export focus of the industry.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “It’s been a pretty turbulent first nine months for UK commercial vehicle production, with model changeovers and the variable pattern of fleet buying cycles affecting output. While it is worrying to see a fall in September domestic orders, the vast majority of our CV output is shipped overseas, mostly into the EU, and so to ensure ongoing sector competitiveness we need a truly ambitious future relationship based on tariff-free and frictionless trade.”
