The number of new cars produced in the UK in December 2008 fell dramatically on 47.5% yr/yr, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), as plants were shut-down over Christmas. For the whole 2008, production was down only 5.7%, as earlier in the year it was quite strong. Earlier in January, SMMT said the number of new cars actually sold in the UK in 2008 fell by 11.3% from 2007. "UK vehicle production figures for 2008 demonstrate both the strength of the sector and the very dramatic fall in demand in the last quarter," SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt said in a statement. "UK facilities are globally competitive with high productivity levels and hugely attractive model line-ups." Britain exports three-quarters of the cars it manufactures. The carmaker had announced in November the plant would be shut during February and March. The global car industry has been going through a difficult period because of a collapse in global sales.