Car production in Poland overtakes Russia

In 2009, automotive production was higher in Poland than in Russia, new statistics show.

New figures released by the International Organisation of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA) show that the ongoing financial crisis has hit the industry hard, with a global 13.5 percent drop in car production in 2009 from the previous year.
 
Factories in Poland produced 7.1 percent less cars in 2009, amounting to 879,000 units. The result is that the country has moved up 5 places in worldwide automotive rankings, to 15th position.
 
Russia, viewed as an automotive powerhouse, produced 722,000 units in 2009, a million less than in 2008. The crisis has hit Russia with such force that Moscow is to spend directly over 3 billion US dollars until 2020 to rescue its homebred automotive industry.
 
Poland’s southern neighbour, the Czech Republic, was the only Top 20 country in the OICA ranking that managed to increase car production, by 3 percent. (jb)
 
Source: Gazeta Wyborcza/OICA