Toyota warns production could grind to a halt in the case of a no-deal Brexit
Car manufacturer Toyota has warned that a "no-deal" Brexit could force it to stop production at one of its key UK plants.
The firm is one of the biggest car makers in the UK, and relies on components from the EU to make its vehicles.
But today it has raised concerns that a "no-deal" Brexit would lead to it temporarily halting production at its facility in Burnaston, near Derby, which makes around 150,000 cars a year.
"My view is that if Britain crashes out of the EU at the end of March we will see production stops in our factor," Marvin Cooke, Toyota's managing director at Burnaston told the BBC.
He did not give any details on how long a potential stoppage could last for, but hinted it could last for "hours, days, weeks – even months".
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The plant at Burnaston makes the UK's fourth best selling car – the Toyota Auris. The Japanese firm is investing £250m in the site so it can start making its Corolla model at the plant from the end of this year.
It's planning to take on 400 additional staff at the factory on top of the 4,000 workers it already employs there.
Other manufacturers have also raised concerns that a no-deal Brexit scenario could affect production.
Honda told Reuters it was identifying components to stockpile, while Jaguar Land Rover warned it could lose £1.2bn if Britain crashed out the EU without a deal.
A spokesperson for the UK government said:
We are determined to ensure that the UK continues to be one of the most competitive locations in the world for automotive and other advanced manufacturing.
We have put forward a precise and credible plan for our future relationship with the EU. As part of this we have proposed a UK-EU free trade area underpinned by a common rulebook on manufactured goods, such as automotives.
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