Electric vehicle mandate and tariffs put carmakers ‘at risk’ Casino Britain’s ailing car industry could be hollowed out without urgent action to tackle the twin blows of tariffs and the government’s EV mandate, the head of its industry body has warned. Speaking at the SMMT’s annual summit, boss Mike Hawes said that the so-called ZEV mandate – a policy that forces carmakers to sell a [...]
UK manufacturers facing ‘steel quota cliff edge’ Industrials Manufacturers are facing a cliff-edge from the government’s incoming steel tariffs that are likely to inflict “huge damage” on the UK economy, Britain’s largest industry body has warned. In a fresh statement, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) sounded the alarm on the impact that that new duties on foreign-produced steel will have on importers, [...]
China’s Chery poised to strike deal with Nissan to build cars at Sunderland plant Business Chery is on the cusp of building its first manufacturing presence in the UK in the latest sign of Chinese carmakers gaining a major foothold in Britain’s electric vehicle market. The Omoda and Jaecoo owner, which is the third largest carmaker in China, has unveiled a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Nissan to explore [...]
Industry chief calls on government to water down steel tariff plans May 14, 2026 Government plans to double tariffs on steel imports pose an enormous threat to Britain’s already ailing manufacturing industry, pushing up costs at a time when many are already in the jaws of an inflationary energy shock, Britain’s largest industry body has warned. In a letter seen by City AM, British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) boss [...]
European carmakers slam on the brakes after Trump tariff shock May 4, 2026 Volkswagen reveals €4bn hit even before Washington threats to tear up the Turnberry Deal’s pledge on car import tax Shares in European carmakers were stuck in reverse on Monday, after the sector became the latest to be caught up in threats into the weekend from US President Donald Trump. The White House announced fresh plans [...]
Inchcape shares slide amid Asia market ‘challenges’ March 3, 2026 Shares in Inchcape tumbled on Tuesday after the car distribution business warned of challenges in Asian markets. The London-listed firm was the worst performer on the FTSE 250 index amid a wider stock sell-off, with its shares sliding almost 9 per cent to 793p – though the stock remains up by 3 per cent since [...]
Aston Martin to axe hundreds of jobs as profit plummets February 25, 2026 Aston Martin is poised to cull its workforce by around a fifth after the firm’s bottom line took a beating from President Donald Trump’s erratic tariff agenda. The British manufacturer said on Wednesday it had recognised a provision of £18.7m in relation to expected restructuring costs as it consults on chopping 20 per cent of [...]
As Starmer heads to China, Brits rush to buy Chinese EVs January 29, 2026 A couple of years ago, I was invited to the launch of a new Chinese EV brand called Omoda. Myself and a handful of journalists showed up to an inauspicious press event in the basement of a Covent Garden hotel. In the room was parked (I’m still not sure how they got it down there) [...]
Toyota warns of ‘challenging road ahead’ after profit falls £100m December 3, 2025 The UK manufacturing arm of Toyota has warned “the road ahead may be challenging” after its profit slumped by more than £100m during its latest financial year. The division of the Japanese giant said the “uncertainties of the automotive industry and infrastructure to support vehicle type” were the main factors behind its pessimism. However, Toyota [...]
Could this be the clearest sign yet that the rich are leaving Britain? October 30, 2025 It’s hard to know quite how many of the super-rich are leaving London. Some say departure numbers are well into four figures so far this year – others that the estimates are overstated. We can’t get a precise number, but one thing is for sure: it’s happening. The anecdotal evidence of high net worth folk [...]