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SMMT confirms fall in UK car production

Date: 01 February 2018   |   Author: Sean Keywood

The number of cars made in the UK fell by 3% in 2017, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has said.

It was the first recorded decline for eight years - but still the second-highest production total since the turn of the century.

Production was hit by a 9.8% decline in domestic demand, but helped by far more stable exports, with demand from overseas, which made up 79.9% of UK output, falling by only 1.1%.

The SMMT says the final figure of 1,671,166 cars made is 130,000 below its mid-year forecast, due to worse than expected domestic demand.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: "The UK automotive industry continues to produce cars that are in strong demand across the world and it's encouraging to see growth in many markets.

"However, we urgently need clarity on the transitional arrangements for Brexit, arrangements which must retain all the current benefits, or else around 10% of our exports could be threatened overnight.

"We compete in a global race to produce the best cars and must continue to attract investment to remain competitive.

"Whilst such investment is often cyclical, the evidence is that it is now stalling so we need rapid progress on trade discussions to safeguard jobs and stimulate future growth."

An area of success for the UK in 2017 was engine manufacturing, with output up by 6.9%.

In terms of individual manufacturers, the firm that built the most cars in the UK in 2017 was Jaguar Land Rover, with 532,107 cars made - a 2.3% decline on 2016.

Nissan was second with 495,206 cars - a 2.4% drop - and Mini third with 218,885 cars - a 3.8% increase.



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