Jaguar sales drop after pausing US shipments over tariffs

[LONDON] Britain’s Jaguar Land Rover on Monday reported sharply lower quarterly sales after the luxury carmaker halted shipments to the United States in response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Retail sales fell 15.1 per cent in the three months to the end of June, compared to the same period last year, the company said in a statement.

Jaguar, owned by India’s Tata Motors, said the sharp drop was partly driven by “a pause in shipments to the US” following Trump’s tariffs on the auto sector imposed in April.

Automotive trade body SMMT reported last month that British car exports to the United States slumped by over a half in May, but noted that a recent trade deal between the UK and US is expected to help sales recover.

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

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