Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions his Department has had with representatives of the automotive sector on the effect on that sector of no new import tariffs being imposed in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

BEIS Ministers and officials regularly meet with the automotive industry, including through bilaterals with manufacturers, via interactions with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), and through BEIS’s participation in the Automotive Council.

Leaving the EU with a deal that supports the future of British industry remains the government’s top priority. As set out in the Political Declaration, the UK and the EU have agreed on a free trade area for goods, including automotive. This will combine deep regulatory and customs cooperation with no tariffs and no quotas, underpinned by provisions ensuring open and fair competition. We will continue to make the case for the benefits of free trade.

We are determined to ensure that the UK continues to be one of the most competitive locations in the world for the automotive sector.