Mercedes boss warns EU car sector could suffer if UK barred from Made in Europe law
Ola Källenius, head of Mercedes-Benz and ACEA, said excluding the UK from the EU’s Made in Europe legislation would deliberately damage the car industry on both sides of the Channel.
At an annual automotive briefing in Brussels, Ola Källenius, Mercedes-Benz chief and president of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, cautioned that the EU’s Made in Europe law, part of the Industrial Accelerator Act, should not exclude the United Kingdom. He argued that such a move would be a deliberate choice to harm the car sector across the bloc, weakening supply chains and competitiveness. The legislation is aimed at curbing Chinese market dominance but could also impact close partners like Norway, Turkey and Switzerland.
UK leaders, notably Andy Burnham and Prime Minister, are pressing for the UK’s inclusion ahead of a summit on 20 November, despite resistance from France. Meanwhile, the ACEA is urging an urgent pause on the 10% tariffs slated for electric vehicles imported between the EU and the UK, which are set to take effect next year under the post-Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
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