November 26, 2018

Chairman’s Comment on Agreement on the UK’s Withdrawal from the EU
Akio Toyoda
Chairman, Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Inc.

The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) welcomes the agreement reached on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union and the political declaration on the future relationship between the UK and the EU, both of which were announced yesterday.

We take this opportunity to express once again our respect and appreciation for the arduous efforts made towards those ends by the UK and EU governments and hope that ratification of the agreement by the UK parliament and EU member states is swift, thereby avoiding the adverse consequences that a “no-deal Brexit” would have for corporate activities and consumers alike.

Free and frictionless trade between the United Kingdom and the European Union based on regulatory harmony will be necessary to maintain the competitiveness of the automotive sector in the UK and the EU once the UK exits the union. We hope that clarity will emerge in regard to the UK-EU relationship as soon as possible after the start of the transition period on March 29, 2019.

As stakeholders in the automobile industry in the UK and Europe, JAMA member companies would like to continue contributing to the economy and employment in both the United Kingdom and the European Union.