Porsche reports steep fall in orders from Europe and China

Just over 71,000 cars sold in first quarter as German manufacturer is silent on effect of US tariffs

Porsche sales slumped in the first three months of the year as an increase in deliveries to the US was overshadowed by falls in Europe and China, while Donald Trump's trade war has triggered uncertainty in the global car industry.

The German car manufacturer reported a 37% rise in North American deliveries in the period from January to March, hitting 20,698, which Porsche said was partly because of low figures last year when car deliveries were delayed due to import restrictions on Chinese components.