UK commercial vehicle (CV) manufacturing declined in August, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

A tally of 3,685 vans, trucks, buses and coaches were built in Britain last month, a 1.6% fall year on year, or 59 fewer vehicles. Production for the UK declined 3.4% in the month while export demand fell by just four units.

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Year to date, commercial vehicle manufacturing was down 2.9%, impacted by a 12.7% drop in production for the home market where business uncertainty and fluctuating buying cycles have influenced demand. Overall, output continued to be driven by exports, up 3.1% compared with the first eight months of 2017. More than 52,000 CVs have been built in Britain so far this year, with 65.9% destined for overseas customers.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, "August is typically a low-volume month for CV production so drawing conclusions from snapshot comparisons is not advised, especially considering the impact large fleet orders can have."

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