In another hammer blow for Brexit, Nissan are to announce the cancellation of plans for building the new X-Trail model in Sunderland, according to Sky News (HERE). The company first unveiled the plans in October 2016 to build the new Quasqai and the X-Trail (HERE) following 'assurances' from the government.
This may just be a signal to the government that Greg Clark's secret 2016 assurances had better be worth something or the Quasqai will be gone soon as well.
It was the lead story in The Sunderland Echo last night (HERE). I wonder if anyone is having second thoughts?
The BBC (HERE) say it is not expected to result in job losses but it won't create any new ones. Also, I note they say the Quasqai is the 'best selling cross-over vehicle' in Europe. After Brexit, especially a no deal one, Nissan might think they are on the wrong side of the border. I imagine building a new plant from scratch will look relatively cheap compared to 10% tariffs on all vehicles and cross-border delays that make just in time manufacturing all but impossible.
A factory in France would put them at the centre of their main market, with reduced shipping costs and close to all the main supply chains.
Others are linking the news to Ford shedding jobs in Wales and JLR cutting their West Midlands workforce (HERE). Of course, the UK motor industry has problems other than Brexit and some of these events would have taken place with or without the vote to leave, but Brexit is a bit more than a straw and it threatens to break the camel's back.
A no deal Brexit would crush the life out of it within weeks.
