NAGOYA -- Toyota Motor warned Wednesday that it could be forced to suspend production in the U.K. if the country leaves the European Union with no agreement on the terms of its departure.
The Japanese automaker's Burnaston plant in central England, which churned out 130,000 vehicles last year, uses 150 trucks' worth of parts per day. A third of this comes from continental Europe, and these shipments would likely be subject to tariffs and customs checks in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Under Toyota's just-in-time model, the plant stocks only a few hours' worth of parts at a time. "If even one component does not arrive, we will be forced to halt production," said Shigeki Tomoyama, an executive vice president.
Tomoyama said a no-deal Brexit should be avoided "at all costs," a view also expressed by President Akio Toyoda last fall.
BMW and Honda Motor plan to shut down U.K. production temporarily after Brexit. Nissan Motor scrapped plans to build the X-Trail sport utility vehicle in the U.K., citing the "continued uncertainty" around the country's relationship with the EU.
