The UK used to champion open borders. It built a reputation on that. Now the rest of the world isn’t playing by those rules.
Look at the EU. They’re putting up walls. The US is doing the same thing. It feels personal. Maybe it should. The bigger headache comes from China. Their trade isn’t just flowing freely—it’s draining the UK auto sector dry while the other side gets fat.
So what does a country rooted in free-market ideology do when everyone else starts acting protectionist?
That was the mood at this year’s SMMT Summit. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Trader’s annual get-together felt different. Less about networking. More about survival. Car makers and suppliers sat together, staring at the same problem: the old status quo is dead.
They needed a plan for a world where “fair trade” has no definition.
“Free trade is great until someone decides they don’t want it.”
Nobody had a clear answer. That’s the point. The industry is fractured. Half think we need to shield domestic production. The other half believes walls will just kill competitiveness anyway.
Which way do they turn?
The debate is loud. It’s messy. And frankly, it’s going to get worse before it gets better. 📉
