Nissan sends warning over no-deal Brexit

CAR giant Nissan has warned of “serious implications” for its Sunderland plant and the wider manufacturing industry as fears grow of a no-deal Brexit.

North East business groups and industry leaders say the Government must react to the alarm sounded by Nissan, which has grown to employ more than 6,000 people at its Wearside plant, while thousands more work in its supply chain.

Nissan uses its UK base to export to the EU and benefits from being able to trade freely, also importing vast volumes of components. Around 85% of its parts are no longer made in the UK and currently arrive without customs checks or extra tariffs.

The company’s statement says: “Since 1986, the UK has been a production base for Nissan in Europe. Our British-based R&D and design teams support the development of products made in Sunderland, specifically for the European market.

“Frictionless trade has enabled the growth that has seen our Sunderland plant become the biggest factory in the history of the UK car industry, exporting more than half of its production to the EU.

“Today we are among those companies with major investments in the UK who are still waiting for clarity on what the future trading relationship between the UK and the EU will look like.

“As a sudden change from those rules to the rules of the WTO will have serious implications for British industry, we urge UK and EU negotiators to work collaboratively towards an orderly, balanced Brexit that will continue to encourage mutually beneficial trade.”