BERLIN (AP) -- German auto makers exported 22 percent fewer cars in December than a year earlier, with production down by the same amount, the country's main industry group said Tuesday.
The auto industry -- a mainstay of Germany's strong manufacturing sector -- has been particularly hard hit by the deepening global economic crisis.
The VDA industry group said Germany exported 223,000 cars in December -- down 22 percent from December 2006. It did not give details of declines in individual markets.
Over the whole of 2008, exports were down 4 percent at 4.13 million cars.
Orders from abroad were down 32 percent in December, while those from within Germany saw a 21 percent decline, VDA said. It did not offer figures for orders.
Germany is home to car makers such as Daimler AG, Porsche SE, Volkswagen AG and BMW AG.
Automakers across Europe have scaled back production as the financial crisis prompts consumers to hold off purchases.
German auto makers' production was down 22 percent in December to 275,000 cars, VDA said. It also reported a full-year decline in production of 3 percent to 5.5 million cars -- the first fall since 2002.
In Germany itself, which entered recession in the third quarter, VDA said new car registrations were down 7 percent in December at 226,000.
For the full year, sales in Germany were down 1.9 percent to 3.09 million cars, the group said.