All SMMT articles
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ArticleJLR commits to UK supplier base for Evoque
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has used the launch of its new Range Rover Evoque SUV to confirm its commitment to the supplier base in the UK by awarding more than £4 billion ($5.1 billion) in contracts to support production of the model.The carmaker did not say whether any of the ...
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ArticleStockpiling strategies to survive Brexit
The prospect of Brexit in just a few months, deal or no deal, has focused minds on the inevitable consequence of supply chain interruption. The British media have begun to report the likelihood of stockpiling goods and even panic buying of certain products such as pharmaceuticals and food – although ...
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ArticleBMW and Toyota could leave UK after no-deal Brexit
BMW and Toyota have said this week that they could withdraw from the UK if there is disruption to business caused by a no-deal Brexit.Speaking at the start of the Paris Motor Show, BMW’s CEO, Harald Krüger said the carmaker could shift production of the Mini from Oxford to its ...
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ArticleNo-deal Brexit could cost car industry billions
While the political debate and negotiations continue, two car plants in the UK plan production changes and the SMMT has warned a no-deal Brexit could add at least £5 billion ($6.6 billion, €5.6 billion) in tariffs for the EU’s automotive industry.Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) said it is making some temporary ...
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ArticleBrexit’s unaccustomed burdens
Nine months before the UK’s planned departure from the European Union, uncertainty over customs arrangements is emerging as one of the major concerns of manufacturers – perhaps just as much, if not more so, than the prospect of tariffs and taxes. The risks and impacts from delays in logistics flows ...
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ArticleSMMT calls for end to Brexit uncertainty
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has joined major manufacturers in calling for the British government to end uncertainty over the UK’s trading relationship with the European Union after Brexit, and to ensure the frictionless flow of parts and vehicles. Speaking at a press conference during the SMMT’s ...
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ArticleUK vehicle exports to India fall sharply
Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) have shown a growing divide between the number of finished vehicles the UK imports from India and the number it exports to the country.According to the SMMT, finished vehicle imports from India into the UK grew by 8.3% in 2017 ...
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ArticleThe twilight of global trade?
Globalisation and free trade may be reversing towards regional supply chains for a mix of policy and economic reasons
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ArticlePetrol and diesel ban raises questions over UK’s ability to adapt to electrification
Last week’s proposal by the UK government to ban sales of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040 raises some serious questions over the UK’s ability to adapt to greater electrification, senior industry observers have pointed out.Reacting to the joint announcement by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and ...
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ArticleFurther stark warnings issued over impact of Brexit on UK automotive sector
The UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has warned that a sudden exit from the European Union in 2019 could knock the country’s production rate back to 2016 levels.Its warning was issued in the same week as separate analysis highlighting the risk of cost increases for the aftermarket ...
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ArticleUK to invest in battery technology as it targets 2040 diesel and petrol ban
UK business and energy secretary Greg Clark (pictured) has announced the first phase of a £246m ($320m) government investment in battery technology in the country. Known as the Faraday Challenge, the four-year investment round is a part of the government’s Industrial Strategy.The investment was revealed just a day before the ...
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ArticleSupply chain boost for the UK
As efforts continue to boost localisation in Britain, automotive supply chain companies in the UK will invest £225m ($325m) in the next three years, figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show.The SMMT surveyed more than 100 of its supply chain member companies, with 94% saying ...