Commercial vehicle manufacturing fell by 10.7% in January compared to 2019 figures, with the home and overseas markets seeing falls in demand, according to new figures.

Statistics by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) found that there were 8,202 vans, trucks, buses and coaches produced, built in January 2020 352 fewer than in the same month in 2019. But last year had seen a year-on-year increase of 49.1% in production, which the SMMT acknowledged was an unusually high figure.

Production fell in home and overseas markets, down 8.8% and 12.2% respectively. This was the fifth successive month of decline in output for the domestic market, as weaker business confidence and variable buying patterns continued to affect orders. The decline in production for export was blamed largely due to slowing demand in key European markets.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT, said: “The UK’s commercial vehicle sector is a key driver of economic prosperity, and to keep production lines rolling we need to create the right conditions that give operators the confidence to invest in their fleets. The upcoming Budget is an opportunity for the government to announce measures to support the domestic market and at the same time, given the majority of UK CV output is shipped to the EU, every effort must now be made to agree an ambitious free trade deal that has automotive at its centre.”