Toyota warns to leave UK

Tokyo: Toyota Europe´s CEO has warned the firm could end production in Britain by 2023 if the country exits the European Union without a deal, the Nikkei business daily said.

Speaking at the Geneva Motor Show, Johan van Zyl told reporters that "if the business environment becomes very, very difficult to operate," a withdrawal "should be on the agenda as well," the Nikkei said.

He also raised other less drastic possibilities, including scaling back production or investment, the daily said. A Toyota spokesman confirmed van Zyl´s comments.

"In the exchange of questions and answers with Japanese reporters there, he replied to a question on whether future withdrawal from the business in the UK is possible, saying it is ´an option´, in general terms," the spokesman told AFP.