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Honda May Close UK Manufacturing Plant

By Drew Dowdell

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  • Possibility of no-deal Brexit may have hastened decision to close Honda's only EU manufacturing plant

Sky News is reporting that Honda is preparing announce as early as tomorrow the closure of its only EU manufacturing facility in Swindon UK.  The plant currently produces over 100,000 Honda Civics and directly employs 3,500 workers. The plant has been in operation since 1985.  If confirmed, the plant would close in 2022 and have drastic consequence for downstream suppliers. 

This move would be a sudden change of direction for Honda which recently insisted that the UK was a key part of their automobile manufacturing plans. The possibility of a no-deal Brexit likely hastened the decision to close the plant. The Japanese government has negotiated a trade deal with the EU that went into effect on February 1, 2019 that would allow Honda to import vehicles from Japan to the EU tariff free. 

The news comes just as Jaguar-Land Rover plans to cut 4,500 jobs and Nissan shelves plans to build new models in the UK.

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    Grand Master

    G. David Felt

    Members

    Brexit will be the death of jobs and stagnation in UK. People thought it was great to ditch the Euro Union and Euro Dollar and go back to stupid Pounds, stones, etc. history based crap.

    Welcome to the Global age of jobs and global commerce. UK is going to really hate their near term future as I expect many more manufacturing plants to shut down and move to Europe mainland. UK love of their history as the best way to live will be their death. 

    Both Scotland and Ireland DO NOT want to leave the Union and yet will be forced by UK London stupidity.

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    • Agree 1
    Grand Master

    G. David Felt

    Members
    50 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

    The UK never was on the Euro... they always remained with Pounds Sterling. 

    Guess the few trips I made where I did get Euro's and did not use the company credit card, it was always accepted so I never thought about pounds sterling. Thanks, that is interesting. I still think UK is going to hurt long term from withdrawing from the European union. Especially the non-college educated will really hurt I think.

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    A Horse With No Name

    Members
    1 hour ago, dfelt said:

    Guess the few trips I made where I did get Euro's and did not use the company credit card, it was always accepted so I never thought about pounds sterling. Thanks, that is interesting. I still think UK is going to hurt long term from withdrawing from the European union. Especially the non-college educated will really hurt I think.

    All of Europe is going to have serious issues.  But England/GB will have especially severe ones.

    ...and sadly...no more Civic Type R if this happens.

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    Rising Star

    riviera74

    Members

    For whatever the reason, Britons thought that Brexit and "national sovereignty" would solve their problems.  Now Britons will face severe consequences for their decision.  Good luck.

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    Grand Master

    Drew Dowdell

    Editor-in-Chief
    5 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

    All of Europe is going to have serious issues.  But England/GB will have especially severe ones.

    ...and sadly...no more Civic Type R if this happens.

    I guess we might see tomorrow what will happen to Swindon... might be a good article to talk about Type-R

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    Mentor

    A Horse With No Name

    Members
    36 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

    I guess we might see tomorrow what will happen to Swindon... might be a good article to talk about Type-R

    Granted the current Civics look like the offspring of inbred Klingons...but I would miss the R.

    41 minutes ago, riviera74 said:

    For whatever the reason, Britons thought that Brexit and "national sovereignty" would solve their problems.  Now Britons will face severe consequences for their decision.  Good luck.

    Indeed. 

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