Rolls-Royce expresses optimism over Brexit plans

LONDON: UK enginemaker RollsRoyce yesterday expressed confidence over plans for Britain’s departure from the European Union, but revealed that the pound’s Brexit-fuelled slump has left it languishing in the red. There is an increased chance that Britain will crash out of the EU in October with no trade deal in place under new Prime Minister Boris Johnson, meaning it would default to the World Trade Organization (WTO) tariff system.

Chief Executive Warren East, speaking to BBC radio, said Rolls-Royce was well positioned because it already traded under WTO rules. “We would obviously prefer a deal because that is probably the best chance of providing certainty for business, but we’ve always been prepared for contingency-prepared for a no-deal of some kind,” East added.

“We’re not a ‘just-in-time’ business like some other businesses, so we are actually in a much stronger position than others. “As far as tariffs and the like are concerned, then most of our business is in aerospace and WTO rules apply anyway.” Rolls-Royce has spent £100 million ($121 million, 109 million euros) to prepare for Britain’s EU exit. Yesterday, Rolls also reported “good progress” on fixing problems with its troubled Trent 1000 plane engines. However the group’s total net loss still hit £909 million in the six months to June. That compared with a broadly similar after-tax loss of £954 million a year earlier. The 2019 performance was partly skewed by a hefty £763million charge on the tumbling value of the British pound.