Commercial vehicle (CV) manufacturing in the UK fell again in January.

This is according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which has released its latest survey. It found that output fell to 6,681 units, which represents a drop of 14.6 per cent against the year-to-date figures achieved in 2012. The decline occurred across both domestic and export markets.

New EU regulations have been blamed for the slump, as companies have had to restructure their operations to adhere to strict guidelines concerning diesel emissions. The legislation has already been cited as the cause of a 37 per cent drop in the number of CV registrations last month.

Chief executive at SMMT Mike Hawes said: "While van production was strong in January, the 2014 market will, for some months, continue to be affected."

The results did however offer a glimmer of hope for the sector. Figures suggested that CV manufacturing figures are expected to become more stable during the latter half of the year.