"Sports car maker Lotus is set to sack nearly half its UK workforce, putting up to 550 jobs, it has confirmed. The manufacturer blamed US President Donald Trump and his tariff hikes for the decision. The company has launched a consultation process to determine how many roles out of the 1,300-strong workforce at the factory in Norfolk will be affected. The shock move is said to be part of a major restructuring of the firm.
The UK headquarters, based in Hethel, has been the home of the sports car's production since 1966 and retained under Chinese multinational Geely when it took a controlling stake in the business in 2017.
Under the proposals, roles across divisions including engineering, manufacturing, and supporting services will be affected.
A spokeswoman for the group said: 'The proposal is designed to enable Lotus Cars to operate with a flexible and agile business model, allowing it to ramp operations and resources in line with demand, as and when needed.
'We believe this is necessary in order to secure a sustainable future for the company in today's rapidly evolving automotive environment, which is seeing uncertainty with rapid changes in global policies, including tariffs."
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