Ford Motor Co. told British Prime Minister Theresa May during a conference call on Tuesday that it may have to move some production out of Britain because of Brexit, according to a source on the call. Ford told May it may have to use alternatives sites outside Britain, said the source who spoke on condition of anonymity. "They were just making clear that they have other options. This isn't the only one," the source said. London-based newspaper The Times earlier reported that Ford told May it was stepping up preparations to move production out of Britain. Ford is the top-selling automotive brand in Britain, which is its third-largest market and the destination for roughly one in three cars made at its plant in Cologne, Germany. It employs about 13,000 people in Britain. Automakers and other manufacturers have warned about the toll a no-deal Brexit could impose, including higher tariffs, disruption to supply chains and threats to jobs. Britain is scheduled to leave the European Union on March 29. Ford said in a statement it has repeatedly urged the government and Parliament to avoid leaving the EU without a divorce deal. "Such a situation would be catastrophic for the U.K. auto industry and Ford's manufacturing operations in the country," the carmaker said. "We will take whatever action is necessary to preserve the competitiveness of our European business." Last week, Nissan Motor Co. said it had scrapped plans to build its new X-Trail SUV in Britain and will produce it solely in Japan. Nissan said uncertainty over Britain's departure from the EU was making it hard for it to plan for the future. Ford, which operates two engine plants in Britain, said last month it faces a bill of up to $1.3 billion Cdn if Britain leaves without a deal. May's conference call with business leaders came after she told Parliament on Tuesday she needed more time to negotiate a revised Brexit deal. The United Kingdom is on course to leave the EU without a deal unless May can convince the bloc to reopen the divorce pact she agreed to in November and then sell it to skeptical British lawmakers. Business leaders were polite, but there were more pointed statements warning about the damage Brexit could cause compared with a similar call May held with executives last month, the source said. "No one was saying, 'You stupid woman, you don't know what you are doing.' But the mood was different to the last call."<doc-sep>Ford has issued a fresh warning on the "catastrophic" impact of a no-deal Brexit after reportedly telling the prime minister that it was stepping up preparations to move production out of Britain. The US-owned car-making giant said it was prepared to act as necessary to "preserve the competitiveness" of its business in Europe. Ford employs about 13,000 people in the UK, including engine plants at Bridgend in south Wales and Dagenham in Essex - roughly a quarter of its 54,000-strong workforce across Europe. It has previously warned that leaving the EU without a deal would be disastrous and last month Sky News revealed it expected such an outcome would cost it as much as $800m (£622m) this year alone. The latest warning comes after Nissan last week said it had scrapped plans to build its new X-Trail model at its UK plant in Sunderland, adding that uncertainty over Brexit was making it harder to plan for its future. Advertisement The Times reported on Wednesday that Ford had warned Theresa May, during a private call with business leaders, that it was preparing alternative sites abroad. Image: Ford's plant in Bridgend is already facing job cuts Ford did not confirm the report and said it had "no decision to announce today". But the company added: "We have long urged the UK government and Parliament to work together to avoid the country leaving the EU on a no-deal, hard Brexit basis on 29 March. "Such a situation would be catastrophic for the UK auto industry and Ford's manufacturing operations in the country. "We will take whatever action is necessary to preserve the competitiveness of our European business." A number of other car makers and manufacturers have also warned on the impact of the UK crashing out with no deal - potentially confronting them with disruption to their "just-in time" supply chains, a slump in the pound pushing up the cost of parts, and trade tariffs. Brexit is one of a cocktail of concerns facing the auto industry which has also been hit by a collapse in sales of diesel vehicles and a slump in demand from Chinese consumers. Last month Ford revealed that it was to cut up to 1,000 jobs at its Bridgend plant over the next two years. It has also outlined plans for a wider restructuring of its operations in Europe in a bid to cut costs. The company's European boss Steven Armstrong said at the time that if Brexit "went in the wrong direction" it would take "whatever action is needed" adding that "nothing is off the table". Jaguar Land Rover announced last month it was cutting 4,500 jobs to try to reverse losses which have mainly been blamed on diesel and China issues - though it too has been vocal on the damage that could be caused by a hard Brexit.<doc-sep>Car giant Ford has warned that leaving the European Union without a deal next month would be ‘catastrophic’ for the UK’s auto industry. Speaking this afternoon, a spokesman said that the company has ‘long urged the UK Government and Parliament to work together to avoid the country leaving the EU on a no-deal’. Earlier reports claimed Ford was now stepping up preparations to move production out of the UK. Earlier reports claimed Ford was now stepping up preparations to move production out of the UK (Picture: Getty) The company did not, however, comment on the claims made by The Times. A Ford spokesman said: ‘We have long urged the UK Government and Parliament to work together to avoid the country leaving the EU on a no-deal, hard-Brexit basis on March 29. exclusive Instagrammer accused in £4,000,000 forex 'scam' finally breaks silence ‘Such a situation would be catastrophic for the UK auto industry and Ford’s manufacturing operations in the country. ‘We will take whatever action is necessary to preserve the competitiveness of our European business.’ The Times said Ford told Prime Minister Theresa May during a telephone call with business leaders that it was preparing alternative sites abroad. The car industry has been warning about the impact of a no-deal Brexit, with some already cutting back on jobs and production plans. Caption: COLMA, CA – APRIL 26: The Ford Motor Co logo is seen on the Ford Fusion at the Serramonte Ford dealership on April 26, 2011 in Colma, California. Benefiting from strong demand for smaller cars and pickups Ford Motor Co. beat out Wall Street’s estimates by reporting its best first quarter earnings since 1998 with a reported earnings of 2.6 billion dollars. (Photo by David Paul Morris/Getty Images) Photographer: David Paul Morris Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images North America Copyright: 2011 Getty Images Nissan said last week it would no longer build its X-Trail car in Sunderland, Jaguar Land Rover has announced plans to cut 4,500 jobs in the UK and Ford could cut about 1,000 jobs, mainly at its Bridgend engine plant. Unite national officer Des Quinn said: ‘This latest warning from Ford underlines the catastrophic consequences of a no-deal Brexit on the UK’s world leading car industry, its integrated supply chain and wider manufacturing communities. Capitol riot probe commission blocked from being created by Republicans ‘Ministers and MPs must stop gambling with the futures of UK workers and their families. ‘They now must do what is best for the country by taking a no deal, hard Brexit off the table and securing the tariff-free, frictionless trade with Europe through a permanent customs union on which our manufacturing success depends.’ Rebecca Long-Bailey, Shadow Business Secretary, said: ‘Ford’s decision to step up preparations to shift production overseas will risk thousands of highly skilled jobs in Bridgend, Dagenham, Halewood and Dunton. ‘Businesses have lost confidence in the Government’s ability to handle Brexit. ‘It is high time the Prime Minister heeds the numerous warnings by car manufacturers and gives businesses the certainty they desperately need. She must rule out ‘no deal’.’<doc-sep>Ford has said it will do “whatever is necessary” to protect its business in the face of no-deal Brexit as it ramps up plans to move UK manufacturing jobs overseas. The US car giant employs 13,000 people in the UK including 5,000 in manufacturing roles at its Bridgend, Dagenham and Halewood plants and 3,000 at its research and development hub. On Wednesday, Ford warned that crashing out of the EU with no trade deal would threaten the future of its UK operations. “Such a situation would be catastrophic for the UK auto industry and Ford’s manufacturing operations in the country,” the company said in a statement. “We will take whatever action is necessary to preserve the competitiveness of our European business.” Brexit casualties Show all 10 1 /10 Brexit casualties Brexit casualties Andrea Jenkyns - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary at the ministry for housing, communities and local government role May 2018 - The Morley and Outwood MP said: “We want to see a new relationship with Europe, with a new model not enjoyed by other countries – nothing that leaves us half-in, half-out. “And in order to achieve this, we need to leave the customs union.” Ms Jenkyn’s also said she wished to dedicate more of her time to Parliament’s influential Exiting the European Union select committee, after a series of “unbalanced” reports produced by MPs PA Brexit casualties David Davis - Resigned from Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union role July 2018 - quit following a major row with May over her plans for post-Brexit relations with the EU. Davis resignation letter said: “As you know there have been a significant number of occasions in the last year or so on which I have disagreed with the Number 10 policy line, ranging from accepting the [European] Commission’s sequencing of negotiations, through to the language on Northern Ireland in the December Joint Report. “At each stage I have accepted collective responsibility because it is part of my task to find workable compromises, and because I considered it was still possible to deliver on the mandate of the referendum, and on our manifesto commitment to leave the Customs Union and the Single Market. “I am afraid that I think the current trend of policy and tactics is making that look less and less likely.” He went on to argue that the “general direction” of Ms May’s policies would leave the UK “in at best a weak negotiating position, and possibly an inescapable one”. AFP/Getty Brexit casualties Steve Baker - Resigned from Minister at the Department for Exiting the European Union role July 2018 - Mr Baker, a key Tory figure in the Leave campaign, was David Davis’s main lieutenant at Dexeu, and was hailed as ”courageous and principled” by other Brexiteer Tories as he also left. Reuters Brexit casualties Boris Johnson - Resigned from Foreign Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. In his resignation letter to the prime minister, Mr Johnson said: "On Friday, I acknowledged that my side of the argument were too few to prevail and congratulated you on at least reaching a Cabinet decision on the way forward. "As I said then, the government now has a song to sing. "The trouble is that I have practised the words over the weekend and find that they stick in the throat." Reuters Brexit casualties Conor Burns - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary to Foreign Secretary role July 2018 - A Brexit supporter who worked alongside Boris Johnson stated in his resignation letter: “I've decided it's time to have greater freedom. I want to see the referendum result respected. And there are other areas of policy I want to speak more openly on.” Rex Brexit casualties Chris Green - Resigned from Department for Transport role July 2018 - The Bolton West MP said: "Parliament overwhelmingly decided to give the decision of whether to leave or remain in the European Union to the British people and they made an unambiguous decision that we ought to leave. "I have always understood the idea in 'Brexit means Brexit' is that the final deal should be clear to me and my constituents - that we have, in no uncertain terms, left the European Union. Twitter Ads info and privacy "The direction the negotiations had been taking have suggested that we would not really leave the EU and the conclusion and statements following the Chequers summit confirmed my fears. "I recognise that delivering Brexit is challenging, however I had hoped at tonight's meeting that there would be some certainty that my fears were unfounded but, instead, they have been confirmed. "I have been grateful for the opportunity to serve as Parliamentary Private Secretary and it is with regret that I offer my resignation with immediate effect." PA Brexit casualties Maria Caulfield - Resigned from Conservative Party vice-chair for women role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. Lewes MP warned that the direction of travel did “not fully embrace the opportunities that Brexit can provide”. Ms Caulfield said in her letter to the PM: “The policy may assuage vested interests, but the voters will find out and their representatives will be found out. This policy will be bad for our country and bad for the party. “The direct consequences of that will be prime minister Corbyn.” PA Brexit casualties Ben Bradley - Resigned from Conservative Party vice-chair for young people role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. The Mansfield MP said: “I admit that I voted to Remain in that ballot. What has swayed me over the last two years to fully back the Brexit vision is the immense opportunities that are available from global trade, and for the ability for Britain to be an outward looking nation in control of our own destiny once again.<doc-sep>
(Reuters) - Ford Motor Co has told British Prime Minister Theresa May that it is stepping up preparations to move production out of Britain, The Times reported on Tuesday. FILE PHOTO: The logo of Ford is seen during the 88th International Motor Show at Palexpo in Geneva, Switzerland, March 6, 2018. REUTERS/Pierre Albouy The automaker told the prime minister during a private call with business leaders that it is preparing alternative sites abroad, the report said. In a statement to Reuters, Ford said a no-deal Brexit would be catastrophic for its manufacturing operations in Britain. “We have long urged the UK Government and Parliament to work together to avoid the country leaving the EU on a no-deal, hard Brexit basis,” the United States No.2 automaker said. “We will take whatever action is necessary to preserve the competitiveness of our European business.” Ford, which operates two engine plants in Britain, last month said that it faces a bill of up to $1 billion if Britain leaves the European Union without a deal. Car makers and other manufacturers have warned of the cost of a no-deal Brexit, including higher tariffs, disruption to supply chains and threats to jobs. Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29. Other companies have delivered the same warning as Ford, The Times reported, citing another participant on the private call with May. “This isn’t about contingencies any more - we are taking steps because of the uncertainty. It’s real,” the report quoted the participant as saying. Last week Nissan Motor Co said it scrapped plans to build its new X-Trail SUV in Britain and will produce it solely in Japan, saying that uncertainty related to Brexit was making it hard for it to plan for the future. Ford is a top-selling automotive brand in Britain, which is its third-largest market and the destination for roughly one in three cars made at its plant in Cologne, Germany. It employs about 13,000 people in Britain.