BRITAIN’S car exports to China showed a slight increase in 2020 from pre-pandemic figures in 2019 despite a significant decline to the European Union (EU) and the United States, an industry report said Tuesday.

Britain’s car exports had experienced the downward trend in 2019. However the decline in 2020 was much more substantial, with only 400,000 volume cars exported to the EU in 2020 compared to 578,000 in 2019, the British Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said in its trade report.

“In comparison, exports to China showed a slight increase from 2019 figures, an indication that demand in China is atypical of the rest of the world experience, but also that the country is experiencing a quicker recovery post-pandemic, with China exiting its lockdown earlier than other nations around the world and reigniting pentup demand for vehicles,” the report said.

“The U.K. and Chinese automotive industries have been strengthening trade and investment ties, creating a relationship that continues to boost the economies of both nations,” said Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive.

“With an increasingly diverse and innovative technological strategy, there is a significant opportunity for further collaboration between the two countries as the automotive industry shifts toward a zero-emissions future,” Hawes said.(Xinhua)