The drop comes as European carmakers try to chop prices amid stiff competitors, U.S. tariffs on auto imports, and a slowing world economic system, with the outlook unsure regardless of eased U.S.-China commerce tensions.
Complete automotive and business car manufacturing fell 15.8% from a yr in the past to 59,203 models in April, the bottom for that month since 1952, excluding the COVID-19 lockdown-hit 2020, in keeping with knowledge from the Society of Motor Producers and Merchants.
UK automotive gross sales have fallen in three of the 4 months in 2025 up to now.
The April decline was pushed by a number of components, together with the later timing of Easter, which diminished the variety of manufacturing days within the month and contributed to manufacturing in March.
Weak demand for automobiles in key export markets weighed on volumes, SMMT mentioned. Shipments to the UK’s two largest world markets, the EU and U.S., fell by 19.1% and a pair of.7%, respectively. “With automotive manufacturing experiencing its hardest begin to the yr since 2009, pressing motion is required to spice up home demand and our worldwide competitiveness,” SMMT Chief Mike Hawes mentioned in an announcement. Britain has secured a number of commerce accords since U.S. President Donald Trump introduced sweeping tariffs, unleashing a commerce conflict.
Earlier this month, Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer introduced a restricted bilateral commerce settlement that features cuts to U.S. tariffs on British automotive exports.
In Could, Britain additionally struck a take care of India slicing tariffs on items whereas setting quotas for auto imports and repositioned itself nearer to the European Union on defence, vitality and agriculture.
The SMMT mentioned latest commerce offers with the U.S., EU and India supply new alternatives, however warned that funding relies on a sturdy industrial technique.
