SUPPORT is being rallied up for the local automotive industry in the wake of US president Donald Trump’s tariffs on foreign cars.
MP for Warwick and Leamington Matt Western, who himself has worked in the automotive industry, said the 25 per cent tariffs are particularly worrying for the local area as thousands are employed by businesses like Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin based at Gaydon.
Mr Western said he had made representations to both the chancellor and the secretary of state for business and trade before the tariffs were officially announced on April 2 and made clear the impact they could have locally. He will continue making such representations given the severity of this situation.
He continued: “To be clear, we should all be very proud to have Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin on our doorstep. They employ thousands of people locally in good quality jobs, produce world class British cars and contribute hugely to our economy.
“It is hard to downplay the impressiveness of what British industry is producing when you see it firsthand. In my office, I have a miniature Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin as a reminder of what our community produces. It is our neighbours, friends and families that are producing these iconic British brands.
“It was welcome to see the prime minister at Jaguar Land Rover backing our automotive industry and announcing a range of measures to support our automotive industry in the face of these tariffs. He rightly acknowledged that these tariffs are not good news, and we must act to combat that and to protect our national interests.
“I believe the approach our government is taking is the right one. We should approach this situation with calm heads and restrain from a knee jerk reaction. A trade war is not in our interests, and we must remember this. What we must do is support our automotive industry and this is what we’re doing.”
Aston Martin, which employs around 3,000 staff, many of who live in south Warwickshire, fears it could face a £30 million hit to its gross profit..
The US market accounts for 30 per cent of Aston Martin’s annual sales.
Jaguar Land Rover employs around 40,000 people across its global operation, and has major manufacturing sites in Wolverhampton and Solihull as well as Gaydon.
A JLR spokesperson said the company was pausing all shipments to the US while it assessed the impact of the tariffs on its business.
