Toyota Reiterates Concerns Over No-Deal Brexit
Toyota has once again added its voice to warnings about the impact a no-deal Brexit would have on the UK’s automotive industry, stating that it may have to discontinue building the Corolla at its UK factory.
Toyota Europe president Johan van Zyl says it is vital that frictionless trade continues in Europe, and that the “hurdle” Brexit represents could be too high to allow the company to improve its competitiveness.
“It’s critical that we don’t have any disruptions in the production process,” van Zyl said, adding that if “the long term effect” is “very negative,” the current production cycle at its Burnaston plant in Derbyshire could come to an end. Chairman Didier Leroy also added that with a border tax, introducing a new model would become “extremely complicated.”
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At the Geneva Motor Show, Van Zyl said that what Toyota wanted was “a regulatory framework between the UK and EU which is the same. We hope still that that can be the outcome.” However, he added that with only about three weeks to go before the UK is due to leave the EU, the company had expected a decision would have already been made about what would happen.
The looming threat of a no-deal Brexit has agitated more automakers than just Toyota. Nissan has already cancelled its plans to build a new SUV in the UK, Honda has announced its Swindon factory will close in 2021, Ford has warned of catastrophic consequences, and BMW may begin producing Mini and Rolls-Royce cars elsewhere.
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