Spain’s automotive sector performance improves in 2019

The Spanish automotive sector saw its production and exports to strategic markets slightly increase year-on-year in 2019, Kallanish learns from monthly data issued by Asociación Nacional de Fabricantes de Automóviles y Camiones (Anfac).

“The increase in demand in the European market during the last month of last year gave a boost to Spanish manufacturers which ended 2019 showing improved performance,” Anfac says. “The new models and light commercial vehicles registered the highest growth rate on-year (12.3%). These together with the heavy commercial vehicles (7.7%) offset the falls in the other segments,” the association adds.

During 2019, Spain’s automotive production totalled 2,822,360 vehicles, up by just 0.1% y-o-y. Production in December alone increased by 21.2% compared to the same month of 2018 to 177,427 units. Spanish exports amounted to 2,310,070 units, just 0.2% more to shipments abroad in 2018, Anfac adds.

Spain saw growth in vehicle exports to its main European trading destinations. Shipments to Germany increased by 12.5%, while these to the UK and Italy and rose by 13.6% and by 1.7% y-o-y in 2019, respectively. Exports to France remained unchanged on-year. The four countries took 64.8% of total Spanish exports during last year, the association confirms.

The country saw its shipments also increase to Japan, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and Morocco.