BMW sees no need to shift Mini output after Brexit

BMW sees no need to shift Mini output after Brexit

LANDSHUT, Germany -- BMW Group production chief Oliver Zipse said there is no need to decide yet whether the Brexit vote is a reason to shift manufacturing of its Mini brand away from the UK to other locations in Europe.

Britain's vote in June to leave the European Union has raised doubts on whether it can keep tariff-free access to the European common market, prompting various automakers with factories in the UK to review their production plans.

Nissan said on Thursday that will build the new Qashqai and add a further model, the X-Trail, at its plant in Sunderland, northern England, despite the vote to quit the EU.

Zipse said BMW is not under pressure to make any changes or decide about further investments in its assembly line in the UK. A new generation Mini has just been launched and "now is not the time to make this decision," Zipse told Reuters on the sidelines of an event held in Landshut, Germany.

"When the time comes when we have to do the next bigger investment, we will have to look at the situation," Zipse said.

Mini's main production location is in Oxford, England, but some output is outsourced to VDL NedCar  in the Netherlands with VDL NedCar and Magna Steyr in Austria.

Asked whether BMW could shift more production of the Mini to the Netherlands, Zipse said, "We have possibilities, but currently we don't have to."