Nissan CEO on Brexit deal with Theresa May: 'I am not going to invest in a black box'
He said he needed "to be reassured on the competitiveness" of post-Brexit Britain by Theresa May before deciding to back the Sunderland plant, but wouldn't be drawn on the specifics of those reassurances.
He made the statements on Tuesday when Business Insider asked him for more details on what the UK government promised Nissan in return for staying in the country after Article 50 is triggered, beginning Britain's exit from the EU.
When pressed, he declined to say whether Prime Minister Theresa May or Business Secretary Greg Clark had offered Nissan anything concrete to keep its Sunderland plant open. About 35,000 jobs are dependent on that factory.
Previously, Ghosn had suggested Nissan could leave Sunderland if the UK did not have full access to the EU Single Market. The government was somehow able to reassure Nissan that it would get continued access to the Single Market post-Brexit or at least remain competitive. It is not clear how the government did it or whether the government offered Nissan some kind of subsidy or payment to stay.
Ghosn told Business Insider: "I think you are asking the wrong person. You need to ask that question of the British government."
"I am not going to invest in a black box. I need to be reassured on the competitiveness, independently, because I don't know what's going to be negotiated, I don't know the decision, I know it's going to take some time, I don't know the consequences."
"I cannot give you more details because frankly, it's not in my own interest to do that."
He added that his executive committee voted unanimously to accept the government's assurances about Nissan in Sunderland.