SMMT summit

EU urged to keep British auto supply chains within “Made in Europe” framework

May 13, 2026 | , , , , , ,

The UK automotive industry is urging the European Union to preserve close manufacturing integration with Britain as Brussels advances new industrial policies designed to strengthen European supply chains and accelerate domestic electric vehicle production.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has warned that proposed EU “Made in Europe” measures could unintentionally damage one of the world’s most integrated automotive manufacturing relationships if UK operations are excluded from future incentives and industrial support mechanisms.

The concerns centre on the EU’s proposed Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), a key part of the bloc’s wider “Made in Europe” strategy aimed at strengthening European manufacturing, accelerating decarbonisation and improving competitiveness against the US and China.

UK and EU automotive manufacturing remains deeply interconnected

The SMMT recently met EU representatives in Brussels to discuss how the proposed legislation could affect cross-border automotive manufacturing and whether UK operations would remain eligible for support linked to the “Made in Europe” framework.

The industry body argues that the UK and EU automotive sectors remain fundamentally interdependent despite Brexit, with the EU exporting over €9bn worth of automotive components to UK manufacturers every year, making Britain the largest single export market globally for EU automotive parts.

These flows include battery systems, electric motors, traditional powertrain components, electronics, body panels and high-value engineered parts that move repeatedly between the UK and EU during the manufacturing cycle.

The wider UK–EU automotive relationship is now estimated to be worth around €80bn annually, while UK factories remain the EU’s largest export market for passenger vehicles, worth almost €40bn per year to European manufacturers.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said, “Brexit put the resilience of our shared industry under enormous stress, but manufacturers have overcome those challenges to grow our trade in electrified vehicles alone to record levels.”

The organisation argues that excluding UK operations from future “Made in Europe” incentives could weaken both UK and EU manufacturing competitiveness by disrupting deeply integrated supply chains that have evolved over decades.

Industrial policy becoming increasingly tied to supply chain geography

The proposed Industrial Accelerator Act forms part of a broader shift towards more interventionist industrial policy across major global economies.

The EU’s objective is to accelerate decarbonisation, strengthen domestic manufacturing capability and reduce strategic dependence on overseas supply chains, particularly in areas linked to electric vehicles, batteries and advanced technologies.

The concern for UK manufacturers is whether British suppliers, assembly operations and associated supply chains would qualify for the same incentives and support structures as EU-based competitors.

The SMMT has warned that excluding UK operations from the framework could create new friction across automotive supply chains at precisely the moment manufacturers are trying to accelerate investment into electrification, battery production and low-emission vehicle technology.

Global trade pressure adds further complexity

The debate also comes as the automotive industry adapts to increasingly fragmented global trade conditions.

Following the 2025 UK–US trade agreement, the United States became the UK’s largest export market for cars, with more than 101,000 UK-built vehicles shipped to the US during 2024, worth around £7.6bn. The agreement reduced US tariffs on British-built vehicles from 27.5% to 10% within a quota of 100,000 vehicles, providing important support for premium and luxury manufacturers serving the American market.

At the same time, European automotive manufacturers continue pushing for progress on EU–US trade negotiations amid concerns that tariff disputes and industrial competition could create further instability across international manufacturing networks.

Despite these global shifts, UK automotive leaders continue to stress that Europe remains operationally critical from a manufacturing, sourcing and logistics perspective.

Metro supports automotive manufacturers, suppliers and aftermarket businesses with integrated freight forwarding, customs support and multimodal logistics solutions designed for highly time-sensitive international supply chains. 

From UK–EU customs coordination and inbound production logistics to time-critical component distribution and international freight management, Metro helps automotive customers maintain continuity across complex manufacturing networks operating under changing regulatory and trade conditions.

EMAIL Managing Director, Andrew Smith, today to learn more.

Quote button

New quote platform improves speed and accuracy

May 13, 2026 | , , ,

Metro’s updated online quote platform is helping businesses secure faster and more accurate freight solutions, as supply chains face growing time pressure and complexity.

The redesigned system captures more detailed shipment information at the enquiry stage, giving Metro’s commercial teams greater visibility of transport requirements from the outset and helping reduce delays caused by incomplete or fragmented information.

Customers can now specify transport mode, shipment type, cargo characteristics, customs requirements, pickup and delivery needs, and additional operational details within a single streamlined process. The enhanced structure is designed to support quicker turnaround times and more tailored responses, particularly for urgent, multimodal or specialist shipments.

Faster and more accurate responses for increasingly complex supply chains

As supply chains become more volatile, the ability to assess routing options and operational requirements quickly is becoming increasingly important. Delays at the enquiry stage can affect pricing accuracy, routing decisions and capacity availability, especially where shipments involve customs formalities, hazardous cargo, project freight or time-critical movements.

The revised quote process helps Metro gather the information needed to respond more effectively from the beginning, reducing the need for repeated follow-up communication and allowing solutions to be aligned more closely to customer requirements.

The platform has also been designed to reflect the increasingly varied nature of freight movements. Businesses can provide details covering road, sea, air, sea-air and project cargo requirements, alongside shipment type information including FCL, LCL, express, courier and full or part load transport.

Additional fields covering palletisation, stackability, hazardous cargo status and customs clearance requirements help improve operational planning and ensure enquiries are directed quickly to the appropriate specialist teams.

Supporting better planning and operational agility

The changes come at a time when businesses are placing greater emphasis on agility, contingency planning and visibility across supply chains. Ongoing disruption across ocean, air and road freight continues to create operational uncertainty, increasing the importance of rapid decision-making and accurate information exchange between customers and logistics providers.

By improving the quality of information available at the start of the enquiry process, Metro aims to accelerate response times and provide customers with routing and pricing solutions that more closely reflect their operational priorities.

Businesses looking for faster response times, tailored freight solutions and competitive pricing can access the updated quote platform via the green button above.

Values

New values support customers, consistency and culture

Apr 15, 2026 | ,

At the start of April, Metro marked an important milestone with the launch of new company values, that define how the business operates today and how it will continue to evolve as it grows.

The launch reflects a period of expansion across the business, with new offices, growing teams and increasing customer demand. In this environment, establishing a consistent way of working becomes critical. The new values provide that foundation, aligning teams, guiding decision-making and reinforcing the behaviours that underpin service delivery across the organisation.

These values are not standalone statements. They are supported by the Metro DNA. The everyday behaviours that bring them to life across operations, customer engagement and internal collaboration.

values

A shared framework for a growing business

Metro’s values — Customer-First, Committed, Innovative, Progressive and Agile — define the mindset expected across every role and location.

Customer-First places the customer at the centre of everything Metro does, reinforcing a collaborative approach to building long-term partnerships that go beyond expectations.

Committed reflects the importance of consistency and accountability, ensuring high-quality service delivery and a culture where teams take ownership and support one another to succeed.

Innovative highlights the role of technology and forward-thinking solutions in simplifying operations and delivering tangible value to customers.

Progressive focuses on continuous improvement, encouraging teams to embrace change, contribute ideas and drive positive development across the business.

Agile underpins Metro’s ability to respond quickly in a fast-moving logistics environment, ensuring teams remain proactive and adaptable in delivering the right solutions.

As Metro continues to expand, the challenge is not just growth, but maintaining consistency. Different offices, teams and functions must operate with the same standards, mindset and approach, regardless of location.

The new values address this directly. They provide a shared language across the business, ensuring that whether a customer engages with Metro in the UK or internationally, the experience remains aligned.

They also support internal alignment. From operations and customer service through to finance, technology and commercial teams, the values help ensure that decisions are made with the same priorities in mind.

This is particularly important in logistics, where coordination, responsiveness and reliability are critical to performance. A clearly defined culture reduces friction, improves communication and supports better outcomes for customers.

Bringing values to life

The launch was supported by a company-wide engagement initiative, ensuring that every employee understands not only what the values are, but how they apply in day-to-day roles.

Across all locations, teams took part in local celebrations to mark the launch, reinforcing the importance of shared culture across the network. At the Birmingham HQ, this included a team event that brought colleagues together, while all employees received branded materials featuring the new values and behaviours. A simple but effective way to keep them front of mind.

The values are also being embedded into key business processes. They will be integrated into performance management through PerformYard, shaping how goals are set, how development is supported and how success is measured.

Recognition programmes are also being aligned. Employee of the Quarter awards will now be directly linked to the values, ensuring that behaviours such as collaboration, accountability and customer focus are consistently recognised and reinforced across the business.

The launch of Metro’s new values is not a one-off initiative. It is part of a broader focus on building a scalable, resilient and people-driven business.

As the business continues to grow, these values will play an increasingly important role — shaping how teams work together, how customers are supported and how Metro differentiates itself in a competitive market.

Metro’s values are more than statements, they are embedded into how the business operates every day. For customers, that means consistent service, proactive thinking and a partner that is aligned to deliver long-term success across increasingly complex supply chains.

EMAIL our Managing Director Andy Smith to start your conversation.

Andrew White

Celebrating 45 years of service: Andrew White retires from Metro

Apr 15, 2026 | , ,

After an extraordinary 45-year career, Metro bids farewell to one of its most influential and long-serving colleagues, Andrew White, as he retires from the business he joined in the early 1980s.

Andrew’s journey is a rare one. Joining as employee number eight, he has spent his entire career at Metro, progressing from apprentice to Operations Director. Over that time, both the business and the wider industry have transformed dramatically. From the early days of carbon copies, telex tape, fax machines and manual documentation to today’s digital, paperless, data-driven supply chains.

Since Andrew joined in 1982, global trade has weathered events such as the end of the Cold War, the rise of China as a manufacturing powerhouse, the financial crisis, Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic. Through it all, Andrew has been a constant calming presence at Metro, helping guide the business through each challenge and change.

His contribution to Metro’s development has been significant and far-reaching. Andrew played a central role in designing, implementing and continually evolving the company’s operational platforms. Systems that remain fundamental to how Metro operates today. He also led a number of key transformation projects, including major systems rollouts that helped modernise the business and support its growth into new markets and regions.

Beyond systems and infrastructure, Andrew’s impact is perhaps most strongly felt through people. Over four decades, he has mentored and coached countless colleagues, sharing knowledge, shaping careers and helping build the culture that defines Metro today. Many of the processes, standards and ways of working embedded across the business can be traced back to his influence.

Andrew’s career has also been global in scope. He has travelled extensively, supporting the development of Metro’s international footprint and playing a key role in establishing overseas hubs and operational platforms. His work has helped position Metro as a connected, forward-looking logistics provider with the capability to operate across multiple regions and markets.

For those who have worked alongside him, Andrew has been more than a colleague. He has been a trusted advisor, a steady hand during periods of change and a consistent advocate for doing things the right way. His long-standing presence has provided continuity through decades of growth and transformation.

His retirement marks the end of an era, but also an opportunity to reflect on a remarkable career defined by commitment, innovation and loyalty to the business.

As CEO Grant Liddell reflects:

“It is with a mixture of joy and sadness that we mark Andrew’s retirement after 45 years with the business. From joining as an apprentice to becoming Operations Director, Andrew has contributed massively to Metro’s success over five decades. He has been a valued and ever-present member of the Metro family, and his legacy will live on through everything he has helped build. We wish him all the very best in his retirement and look forward to staying in touch with a much-valued colleague and friend.”

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