British-made passenger car and SUV imports to Australia in the four months this year account for 2.8 per cent of the total, down from 2.9 per cent in calendar year 2020 and 3.5 per cent in 2019.
In comparison, vehicles from China numbered 2927 units in 2016 against the UK’s total of 35,581. In 2019, China sold 30,696 vehicles in Australia compared with the UK at 28,025.
At its peak in the past 12 years, England had a 3.9 per cent share in 2013 after building it from 1.3 per cent in 2009, almost entirely on the expanded export program driven by Nissan and Honda.
Currently, the main manufacturer importing into Australia from the UK is Nissan, which makes the Qashqai, Juke and Leaf at its plant in Sunderland in the north-east of England.