British MPs "troubled" by Nissan plans to move production of SUV X-Trail, British PM seeks pragmatic agreement on Brexit, Europe News & Top Stories



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LONDON (REUTERS, DPA) – The Japanese automaker Nissan is canceling plans to manufacture the next model of its X-Trail sport utility vehicle in Britain, less than two months before the country leaves the European Union, announced the Sky News television channel.

For the first time, Nissan announced, four months after the vote, in June 2016, that Britain was leaving the European Union that it would manufacture a new SUV model in Britain, which was considered a major vote of confidence for the future of the country's manufacturing sector.

The main production plant of the current X-Trail is located in Japan, while the Nissan plant in Sunderland, in northeastern England, manufactures the smallest SUV Qashqai and other models.

"The precise details of Nissan's imminent announcement were not clear this weekend, but sources said it would likely imply abandoning the X-Trail production plans announced at the weekend. Autumn 2016, Sky announced (February 2).

A Nissan spokesman based in the UK declined to comment. According to Sky, the announcement announced Monday is not expected to result in any immediate job losses at the Sunderland plant because the X-Trail is not yet manufactured there, but would spark doubts about Nissan's future investments in Britain.

British MPs said Saturday that they were "deeply troubled" by this information.

Local MP Bridget Phillipson said on Twitter that this information "represents extremely worrying news for the Northeast economy – so many jobs and livelihoods depend on Nissan's success."

Colleague Julie Elliott said Brexit had played an "inevitable role" in the decision, adding that "none of this is encouraging business investment in this country."

In addition to the X-Trail, Nissan announced in 2016 that it would build the next-generation Qashqai SUV in Britain after receiving government badurances on Brexit, which was considered at the time as a boost for Premier Theresa May.

However, the inability of the UK government to negotiate a smooth exit plan from the European Union has made automakers less likely to use Britain as a European manufacturing center.

Investment in the UK auto industry has halved compared to last year, according to data released Thursday, and Nissan's auto production in Britain has declined more than 10%.

The company of car manufacturers and traders, said that leaving the EU on March 29 without a transition agreement aimed at preserving the fluidity of the pbadage of parts and finished vehicles across the EU borders would cause " permanent ravages "for the British auto industry.

Other multinational giants, including Airbus, warned this week that British jobs could be penalized in case of adverse Brexit results.

At the same time, Prime Minister May said that she would seek a "pragmatic" agreement on Brexit that could convince the European Union and its own legislators when it will return to Brussels for talks.

In her Sunday Telegraph article, May hinted that Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn had agreed with her that the borderline of the Irish border, as defined in the withdrawal agreement, had to change.

May said she listened to political figures, the labor movement and businesses in her quest for a workable compromise on Brexit.

"That is why, when I return to Brussels, I will fight for Great Britain and Northern Ireland, I will be armed with a renewed mandate, new ideas and a renewed determination to find a pragmatic solution. offering the Brexit for which the British people voted, while ensuring there is no hard boundary between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, "added May.

"This is what the Parliament asked me to do Tuesday night," she said.

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