PARIS -- Production by France's leading car makers, PSA Peugeot Citroen (IW 1000/47) and Renault (IW 1000/78), plunged in the first quarter on the back of slowing demand in Europe, trade data showed Tuesday.
A report by France's industry group for auto makers, CCFA, said Peugeot's domestic production of cars and light trucks fell by a whopping 35.7% in the January-March period compared with the same period a year ago, and by 18.8% outside of France.
Renault's domestic manufacturing fell 23.7%, and by 7.9% on a global scale, with the fall being partly cushioned by its low-cost Romanian brand Dacia, which is assembled in Romania and Morocco.
French car makers have in recent years suffered badly from a decline in demand, particularly in Europe.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2013
