UK business activity falls for the first time since October 2023 as trade tensions hurt economy, and car sales slide – business live
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Car sales across the UK fell by over 10% last month, compared to a year ago.
New industry data shows that 120,331 new vehicles were registered in April, 10.4% fewer than in April 2024.
In what is traditionally a quieter month following the March plate change, volumes were also impacted by the late timing of Easter, resulting in fewer working days.
In addition, the implementation of VED changes affecting all new cars, including the Expensive Car Supplement which became applicable to many new EVs from 1 April, pushed transactions into March as shrewd buyers got ahead of the tax increases.
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