Jaguar Land Rover to cut 500 jobs as Trump tariffs bite

Business
By AFP | Jul 17, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet Meeting at the White House on July 08, 2025 in Washington, DC. [AFP]

Indian-owned Jaguar Land Rover, which halted exports of its cars to the United States in April over tariffs, said Thursday it planned to cut up to 500 UK management jobs.

The cuts to be carried out via voluntary redundancy total 1.5 percent of the JLR workforce in the UK, a statement said.

"As part of normal business practice, we regularly offer eligible employees the opportunity to leave JLR through limited voluntary redundancy programmes," said a company spokesperson, without linking the move to developments over tariffs.

The news comes after the company, which is owned by Indian group Tata Motors, reported a sharp reduction in sales after JLR temporarily halted shipments to the US in response to President Donald Trump's tariffs.

JLR retail sales slid more than 15 percent in the three months to the end of June, compared with the same period last year.

Jaguar's sales were impacted also by a planned phase-out of its legacy vehicles in the UK, as the company prepared to launch electric models.

Automotive trade body SMMT last month reported that British car exports to the United States slumped more than 55 percent in May year-on-year -- but noted that a recent trade deal between the UK and US should help sales to recover.

The agreement between London and Washington slashes the tariff on UK car exports to 10 percent from 27.5 percent, on a limit of 100,000 vehicles annually.

Share this story
France says G7 finance talks 'frank, sometimes difficult'
France's finance minister acknowledged talks among leading global economies were "sometimes difficult", even as the group agreed a statement committing to combatting growing economic risks.
Africa banks on continental trade agreement to rev up investments
AfCFTA agreement carries enormous potential for African economies, however, a lot remains to be done to translate it into tangible outcomes for businesses and citizens.
How 300 containers were stolen from Mombasa port
Investigators say over 300 containers were fraudulently cleared from the Port of Mombasa without paying taxes, leading to the arrest of KRA and KPA officials.
800 youth benefit from 'Glam on Wheels' Initiative
800 young residents of Machakos have benefited from the ‘Glam on Wheels’ program, which offers free training in makeup, hairdressing, barbering and nail technology.
Flower industry loses Sh200m as transport strike hits JKIA cargo
Kenya's flower industry lost an estimated Sh200 million on Monday, May 18, after a nationwide transport strike paralysed cargo movement to JKIA, the Kenya Flower Council says.
.
RECOMMENDED NEWS