Toyota to create hundreds of jobs in the UK

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.independen...n-the-uk-6267284.html

/// Prime Minister David Cameron said the announcement was "fantastic news and a massive vote of confidence for UK manufacturing".///

Pity he didn't voice the same vote of confidence for the train makers Bombardier.

[emmie]

Brenden, don't believe that for one minute, do you?

[rov1100]

Just because a model is produced here does not necessarily mean it will be assembled here. Talks of a US or European model will probably mean the parts are made here and assembled abroad. This is known as KD or knockdown where crates containing say about 20 roofs or any parts are shipped abroad. Fords often use this method as it makes economic sense rather than ship complete models abroad.

[Brenden]

In a word no em, but that was in the agreement.

[New Judge]

“If we were no longer in the EU, Toyota would not have built its European model here. It would have built it in another EU country.”

Why, exactly? You keep making these assertions, jake, but never have I seen any evidence that multi-nationals only invest in the UK because of our EU membership.

Where does it say anything on the Toyota website that part of their European operation was set up in the UK because of UK’s membership of the EU? (For those struggling, the answer is nowhere).

However, take a look at this from the Toyota corporate website:

http://www.toyotauk.c...n%20Europe%202007.pdf

To save you trawling through all the gumpf, this is a statement about their expansion in Europe:

“Toyota’s continued expansion in Europe was marked by the recent start of construction of the company’s ninth European manufacturing facility, located in St. Petersburg, Russia. The plant is set to become operational in
December of 2007.”

As far as I am aware Russia is not currently an EU member nor is it a candidate for membership (not for the moment, anyway). Yet Toyota clearly sees Russia, a non-EU state, as part of Europe and Europe as simply one of the continents where they make cars. They seemingly do not discriminate in favour of EU member states when making investment decisions. The contention that they only make their European investment in EU member states is not correct and there is no reason to believe they (or indeed anybody else) would not invest in the UK if it was not a member of the EU.

So, enough of this scaremongering nonsense, please. Businesses invest where it best suits them.

[ichkeria]

"Russia is not currently an EU member nor is it a candidate for membership (not for the moment, anyway)"

(Digressing slightly)
No they're trying to start up their own mickey-mouse version of the EU.

[Gromit]

The Russian Toyota plant will manufacture for the non EU former Soviet bloc. A huge market. It will not supply western Europe (UK, France, Germany).

[New Judge]

So when Toyota want to sell one of their “Verso” models to a customer in the EU, Gromit, they won’t ship it from their plant in Turkey (currently a non-EU nation). Just where will they get it from, then? It won’t come from any of their other European plants because when you look at the company’s manufacturing strategy, the only place in Europe that the Verso is made is in Turkey.

Like most car makers Toyota concentrates its manufacturing of particular models at particular plants. It does not make all models at all plants. If you look at their European manufacturing strategy you will see that some models are only made at their plants in Turkey and St Petersburg. Although they are sold across Europe, they are not made within the EU.

If it was so difficult to gain access to EU markets from outside the EU (as some answers to this question seem to suggest) a company like Toyota would consider this when setting their European strategy. But they clearly don’t need to. Their non-EU plants in Russia and Turkey form an intrinsic part of their European manufacturing strategy. They don’t have an “EU” manufacturing strategy because they don’t need one. So I would suggest that when they come to invest in new plant, membership of the EU, whilst it may be a consideration, is by no means critical.