The organisation said the decline was broadly in line with the 16.1% fall seen during the year-to-date.
The SMMT added that output for the home market showed further growth, but could not offset export losses. Export volumes were down almost a third in the month and 31.5% for the first five months of 2013.
‘Commercial vehicle manufacturers continue to battle against weak demand, particularly abroad, with output sliding 20% in May. Demand for UK-built CVs in the home market grew moderately, but this was not enough to lessen the significant drop in export volumes,’ commented Nigel Base, SMMT commercial vehicle manager.
‘2013 is going to be a hard year for the UK's CV manufacturers but there are pockets of positivity, with some areas of the industry experiencing growth as operators take advantage of the wide range of CVs built in the UK.’
