Lotus has’ no plans’ to close any car factory ‘

Sportscar maker Lotus has announced that there is “no plans” to close any factory after the company’s emergence. The company was considering setting up a new plant in the US.

BBC understands that the firm was Conducting the termination Production Hethel, at its plant in Norfolk, will put 1,300 jobs at risk.

One in Statement on XIt said: “Lotus cars are continuing normal operations, there is no plan to close any factory,” but admitted that it was an “active search” option in the global market.

Lotus cars and Chinese-owners wet on Sunday met Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, and “he was convinced by management that he was committed to the operation of his UK and there is no plan to close his Hethel plant”.

The story was first told by the Financial Times, but sources within the company have told the BBC that the situation was being reviewed and they were considering taking production in the US.

Production in Hethel was temporarily suspended earlier this year as due to disintegration due to the introduction of tariffs on cars being imported into the US.

The US is a major market for Lotus, but Tariff threatens its business, as vendors in the US required to pay 25% on imports of cars and car parts.

The UK government and the US administration have agreed to an agreement to reduce tariffs on UK-made cars that are entering 10%in the US.

But because this agreement applies only on 30 June, it means that manufacturers have had to pay high rates to date.

The company said: “Lotus is committed to the UK for our proud British heritage along with our customers, employees, dealers, suppliers.”

Ben Goldsboro, Labor MP for South Norfolk, A statement issued On Facebook and stated that he was deeply concerned with the recent rumors around the possible closure of Lotus’ Hethel facility “.

He said that he was in “telephone conversation” along with members of government ministers along with Lotus.

He said: “Discussion is going on, I want to be completely clear: I will do everything in my power to ensure that the Hethel facility remains on and that the Lotus thrives in the Norfolk.”

BBC East political editor Andrew Sinklair said: “I think the phone calls started on Friday afternoon and they are continuing in the weekend among ministers and civil servants. We have been told that the business secretary will talk to Lotus” soon “and local MPs are planning to travel on Monday.

“Lotus can publicly say that Hethel has no plans to close their factory, but all the activity of this weekend shows that there is a lot of concern in the government.

“The Prime Minister has done a lot to make a special deal for the construction of British car in his tariff deal with the USA and even though his main focus was big companies like Jaguar Land Rover, ministers know that it would be a psychological blow if there is nothing to lose a small manufacturer like Lotus.

“It is worth noting that when the Norfolk car manufacturer is owned by Chinese, the US is one of its largest markets and China and America are getting closer to some kind of trade deal.

“President Donald Trump has often said that if companies want to avoid tariffs, they should build factories in the USA, this is the rumor to do Lotus.

“Put all of them together and you can see why a lot of people in the government and the Norfolk are concerned at this time.”

Anthony Barel, who lives near the site in Hethel, said Lotus would be “gut” if the production went into the US because the company was “quite special” for him.

“It is inherited that it holds. The lotus has a lot of history in Britain,” he said.

Madison Spelding, who lives nearby, said that if the site is closed then it would be “really heartbreaking”.

“I think it’s just a shame. A lot of businesses are like going, especially in Vimondam.”

Paul Davis lives locally on the site excluding Norwich, and said that it was a “tragic time” for the car industry in Britain.

“The car industry in Britain is actually going down from the bucket as far as I have a question.

“No end of places has closed over many years,” he said.

Recent data from the UK car industry has shown that the exports to the US had reduced the shipment to some firms due to Trump’s tariff.

According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the car shipment for the US declined by 55.4% in May.