Skip to main content

Brexit's impact on the car industry

14 November 2017

The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee continues its Brexit inquiry with a session on the automotive sector. This session is likely to examine the impact of Brexit on the automotive industry, in terms of manufacturing, jobs and consumer prices.

Future customs and trading arrangements

It will consider how different scenarios relating to future customs and trading arrangements might affect the industry in the UK and consider what the Government should be seeking to achieve in negotiations.

Witnesses include the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), Honda, Aston Martin and major suppliers such as GKN.

Automotive industry must be 'in a position to thrive'

Ahead of the evidence session, Rachel Reeves MP, Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, said:

"The car industry has become a UK success story. Productive and efficient car plants across the country have made the UK automotive sector a significant contributor to our levels of employment and our economic growth.

The Chief Executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers has described Brexit as the "greatest challenge of our time".

In seeking to negotiate a Brexit deal that is in the national interest, the Government must ensure the country's key industries, such as automotives, are in a position to thrive in our new relationship with the EU.

Cars rolling off the production lines in Sunderland and Oxford are seen as British but the reality is they are made up of thousands of components that are part of a massive and fully integrated production system spanning Europe and beyond.

This is at the heart of the success of these highly efficient companies, with lower consumer prices for cars as a result. Any new relationship with Europe should aim to keep these strengths, both for the benefit of the UK and the EU."

Written evidence published

The written evidence submissions for the Committee's Brexit automotives inquiry are available to view ahead of the session.

Witnesses

Tuesday 14 November 2017, Committee Room 6, Palace of Westminster.

At 2.00pm

At 3.00pm

Further information

Image: iStockphoto