Car production in 80% recovery

 In Automotive, Economy, News

Car production in Portugal has recovered to 80% of pre-Covid levels by this month despite having been down by 36.2% for the first half of 2020.

Some 22,943 heavy and light vehicles were manufactured in June, which still represents a 20% decrease like-for-like on 2019.
And the car production market has recovered in comparison to May 2020 when just 15,965 vehicles rolled off assembly lines that month, according to statistics from the Portuguese Association of Automobile Commerce (Acap).
“The coronavirus pandemic had a strong impact on the sector and therefore on the Portuguese economy,” states Acap.
In month-on-month terms, the first six months saw a production downturn of 36.2% like-for-like on the same half year in 2019, meaning 117,350 units made in Portugal this year.
“The statistical information for the first half of 2020 confirms the importance that exports have for the car sector, since 98% of cars made in Portugal went to overseas markets which made a positive contribution to Portugal’s overseas trade figures,” states the association in a communiqué.
Europe continues to be the main destination for vehicles manufactured in Portugal in the first six months of 2020, with 96.7% going overseas to Germany (96.7%), France (16.2%), Italy (12.6%), Spain (11.7%) and the United Kingdom (8.7%).
As for heavy good vehicles and vans, 110 were assembled, down 28.6% on June 2019, but more than in May 2020 when only 12 vehicles were built.