Tariffs drive down car making to 76-year low

ASTON MARTIN HALTS EXPORTS TO UNITED STATE'S AMID TRADE TENSIONS

- SASKIA KΟΟΡΜΑΝ News Reporter

UK car production plummeted to its lowest level since 1949 in May, as British carmakers such as Aston Martin halted exports to the United States amidst escalating trade tensions under President Donald Trump.

This downturn follows Trump's imposition of hefty tariffs on foreign-made cars, leading Midland companies Aston Martin and Jaguar Land Rover to suspend shipments to the US from April.

New figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revealed that UK factories produced a mere 49,810 cars and vans in May, marking a 33 per cent year-on-year decrease and the poorest monthly performance in 76 years, excluding the Covid-19 shutdowns of 2020.

Exports to the US saw a sharp decline of 55% in May, reducing the American market's share of UK automotive exports from 18% to a mere 11%.