Despite the uncertainty surrounding the UK’s business market, BMW has announced that from 2019 onwards, it will make its line of Minis in Oxford, rather than in the Netherlands, where its current production line is.

This renewed interest from BMW in the British car industry has given some members faith, however others still remain uncertain over the future of car manufacturing in the UK. Last year, 1.7 million cars rolled off the production line, which is the most since 1999. However, investment in car making in the UK has plunged from £1.7bn to £322m in the first half of 2017. Could the same dip in investment take place in industries such as the sign and print industries?

Kirsty Reader, Granthams general manager, previously expressed that Brexit has already had some negative effects. She comments: “I definitely feel that it’s already starting to affect us. I think, from the beginning, we had a very busy March and then from the beginning of April, we have been ticking over. Everybody’s just a little bit shook up and in limbo.”

Everybody’s just a little bit shook up and in limbo”

When it was announced that Britain would be leaving the single market, it sparked fear for many voters who opted for remain. The single market allowed goods and people to move freely in the EU, and is almost eight times bigger than the UK’s market, meaning more customers and opportunities to trade.

The car industry is in particular danger because of the tariffs that will be placed on car parts, as most British cars have 60 percent of their parts sent from the EU. This is a similar state of affairs effecting the UK's sign, graphics, and print industries, which are all dependent on a range of components, materials, and consumables that are imported (especially items such as LEDs and printing inks). 

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