Ford Motor informed British Prime Minister Theresa May that it is planning to move production out of Britain, The Times reported on Tuesday.
The automaker informed the prime minister during a private call with business leaders that it is looking into alternative sites abroad, The Times noted.
Ford was not immediately available for discussing the matter.
Ford, which has two engine plants in Britain, earlier month stated that it is dealing with a bill of up to $1 billion if Britain exits the Europe Union without a deal.
Automakers and other producers have cautioned about the toll a no-deal Brexit could impose, consisting higher tariffs, disruption to supply chains and threats to jobs. Britain is planning to exit the European Union on March 29.
Another participant on the private call with May stated that other companies gave the same warning as Ford.
“This isn’t about contingencies any more – we are taking steps because of the uncertainty. It’s real,” the participant stated during the call.
Last week Nissan Motor stated it scrapped strategies to construct its new X-Trail SUV in Britain and will produce it exclusively in Japan, saying that uncertainty over Britain’s departure from the EU was giving it a hard time to plan for the future.
Ford is the top-selling automotive brand in Britain, while Britain is its third-largest market and the destination for approximately one in three cars made at its plant in Cologne, Germany. It employs about 13,000 workers in Britain.
