LONDON -- British car production slumped by 15 percent last month as demand in China and Europe fell, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said on Thursday as it warned again about the damage a no-deal Brexit would do to the sector.
Output fell to 123,203 cars in February, the ninth month of declines as exports, which account for 80 percent of total production, slumped 16 percent, according to the SMMT.
Exports to China fell 56 percent, while demand in the European Union, the UK's biggest customer, was down 15 percent. The United States fell 2.8 percent.
"The ninth month of decline for UK car production should be a wake-up call for anyone who thinks this industry, already challenged by international trade hostilities, declining markets and technological disruption, could survive a 'no-deal' Brexit without serious damage," SMMT CEO Mike Hawes said.
Nissan, Toyota and Honda are among automakers that build cars in the UK, along with BMW Group's Mini and Rolls-Royce brands, Volkswagen Group's Bentley, Tata's Jaguar Land Rover and the PSA-owned Vauxhall unit.
