Honda to CLOSE its Swindon Plant in 2022?

Honda is set to close its plant in Swindon, according to Sky News, which will result in big job losses both at the plant and in the supply chain.

It looks like Honda may be the latest car maker to decide building cars in the UK isn’t such a good idea after all, with Sky News reporting Honda are to announce tomorrow (19 February 2017) that the Swindon Plant will close in 2022.

It’s a big about turn from Honda, if the report is accurate, and will see 3,500 jobs in the Swindon Plant lost, as well as many more in the supply chain. But is this another Brexit disaster tale?

It seems likely Honda’s decision is influenced by Brexit uncertainties, but perhaps a bigger part of the explanation lies both in the demise of diesel and in the EU’s free trade agreement with Japan, which will see imports to the EU from Japan reduce to zero tariffs in future.

The Swindon Plant is Honda’s only plant in the EU, building more than 100,000 Civics, mainly for export, and has been doing so for more than 30 years.