MADRID, March 20 (Xinhua) -- The Spanish automobile industry, which holds the second place in Europe, must continue making high-quality products and keep prices competitive to maintain its positive performance as other countries are trying to catch up, an auto industry expert said.

With 2.8 million sales in 2017, Spain is the second largest automobile producer in Europe, behind Germany, and eighth in the world, said Alfred Randulfe, director of communication at ANFAC, the Spanish Association of Car Manufacturers.

"It is hard to overtake Germany," Randulfe said, adding that the tendency will be maintained in 2018, and Spain will maintain the overall second place in the European ranking.

However, though a leading producer of small commercial vehicles, Spain should not lose sight of the fact that other countries, especially Brazil, are catching up. Brazil's car sales increased by 25 percent in 2017, Randulfe said.

The Spanish automobile industry, which is vital to the economy, has to continue working the way it has been, maintaining the same quality and competitiveness to retain confidence, Randulfe said.

According to data from the National Institute of Statistics, the sector contributes 10 percent of the country's gross national product.

The year 2016 was a record-breaking year for the Spanish auto industry. In 2017, there was a 1.3-percent drop in production as exports fell slightly.

Despite the dip, Randulfe called 2017 a good year. He said Spain exported between 84 and 85 percent of the vehicles it manufactured.