The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the SMMT, continue to urge the government to keep the automotive industry at the heart of the upcoming Brexit negotiations.
The UK automotive industry employs more than 800,000 people across the country, and contributes £18.9 billion to the economy. And Europe is the industry's biggest market. The overall automotive trade with the EU is worth more than £42 billion, which is nearly seven times the value of the next biggest trading partner, the United States.
The SMMT list five priorities for UK Automotive in the negotiations: zero tariffs and no trade barriers with the EU; maintaining the arrangements and benefits of the existing Customs Union; guaranteed access to talent across Europe; continuity in rule making through regulatory harmonisation; and securing the UK's position in current and future trading relationships.
"Triggering Article 50 has started a race against time to secure a deal that safeguards the future of the UK automotive industry," said Mike Hawes, SMMT's Chief Executive. "The Government has committed to creating and supporting the right conditions for our industry to be successful. Now is the time for them to deliver."
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