NFDA comments on triggering of Article 50

“Following the triggering of Article 50, the NFDA will engage constructively with the Government to ensure the retail motor sector is actively involved in the process going forward”, said Sue Robinson, Director of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle dealers across the UK, commenting on today’s announcement.

Since the EU referendum in June, the National Franchised Dealers Association has been urging the Government on a number of points regarding areas such as trade, employments and general economic measures.

Particularly, the NFDA has called for:

• Open trade: the UK needs to remain in the Common Market or get a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the EU and avoid 10 per cent tariffs
• Low interest rates: interest rates must remain low to continue to support consumer confidence
• Access to finance: with 1.05 million new vehicles bought by consumers and 505,000 purchased by businesses through finance, it is vital that finance deals remain easily accessible
• Skills: it is important that access to skills is maintained

Robinson continued, “For the UK automotive sector to continue to thrive, it is vital that points previously highlighted by the NFDA including open trade, low interest rates and further measures aimed at maintaining economic stability are put forward during the upcoming negotiations between the UK and the EU.

“It is positive that the Prime Minister has confirmed the Government’s commitment to strike the freest possible trade agreement and provide as much clarity as possible to businesses during the negotiations.

“We will be looking closely at the White Paper when it is published.”