Car maker Nissan has scrapped plans to build its new X-Trail 4x4 in Britain, saying it had taken the decision to consolidate production in Japan and warning two months before Brexit that uncertainty was making it harder to plan for the future.
Nissan said four months after Britain voted to leave the European Union in June 2016 that it would manufacture the new X-Trail in Britain, which was seen as a major vote of confidence in the country and then new Prime Minister Theresa May.
A source said Nissan received a letter from the government at the time promising extra support in the event that Britain's departure from the European Union hit the competitiveness of its Sunderland plant in north-east England.
But on Sunday, Nissan, which operates Britain's single-biggest car factory where it built approximately 30 per cent of the country's 1.52 million cars produced last year, said it was reversing that decision. "The company has decided to optimise its investments in Europe by consolidating X-Trail production in Kyushu, the production hub for this global model," Nissan said on Sunday.
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"While we have taken this decision for business reasons, the continued uncertainty around the UK’s future relationship with the EU is not helping companies like ours to plan for the future," said Europe chairman Gianluca de Ficchy.
The company said planned investment in the next-generation Juke and Qashqai, also announced in 2016, was unaffected. Last year Nissan cut hundreds of jobs at the Sunderland factory in response to declining demand for diesel models, Reuters said. Production at the site fell 11 per cent in 2018.
Sunday's news comes after the British automotive industry saw investment plunge last year amid mounting concern about the impact of a hard Brexit.
Spending plunged 46 per cent to £589 million (Dh2.82 billion), the lowest since the global financial crisis, Bloomberg reported the the Society of Motor Manufacturers as saying on Thursday.
Concern about the impact of a possible no-deal split on supply chains and demand has prompted companies to devote less cash to the UK, the society said.
A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
MATCH INFO
CAF Champions League semi-finals first-leg fixtures
Tuesday:
Primeiro Agosto (ANG) v Esperance (TUN) (8pm UAE)
Al Ahly (EGY) v Entente Setif (ALG) (11PM)
Second legs:
October 23
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
