Nissan Warns no EU Trade Deal Puts future of Sunderland Car Manufacturing Plant in Jeopardy

Nissan warns its Sunderland plant in the UK would be ‘unsustainable’ without an EU trade deal

CAR giant Nissan has warned it will not be able to sustain operations at its Sunderland manufacturing plant if Brexit negotiations fail to establish a trade deal, Boris Johnson has repeatedly said he will not ask for another Brexit extension and his cabinet are working ‘around the clock’ to secure deals for the UK.

The 7,000 workers of the UK’s largest car manufacturing plant rejoiced last week after surviving a global cost-cutting restructuring that saw the closure of the Japanese firm’s Barcelona facility, pressure from the Spanish government, and trade unions failed to halt the decision to stop all Nissan car production.

Nissan’s global chief operating officer Ashwani Gupta warned the company would not be able to stand by its commitment to the Sunderland plant if the UK left the European Union without a trade deal that enabled tariff-free EU access.

Mr Gupta said: “You know we are the number one carmaker in the UK and we want to continue. We are committed. “Having said that, if we are not getting the current tariffs, it’s not our intention but the business will not be sustainable.

“That’s what everybody has to understand.”

Nissan, February this year:

Nissan has reportedly drawn up contingency plans to pull out of manufacturing in mainland Europe in the event of a hard Brexit in favour of ramping up its production in the UK.

If a trade deal is struck between the UK and the EU that leads to tariffs on car exports, the Japanese carmaker would focus on selling more cars in Britain.