Robin Harding (@RobinBHarding) / X

Robin Harding

4,903 posts

Robin Harding

@RobinBHarding

Asia Editor for the Financial Times. Former Tokyo bureau chief, Fed correspondent and leader writer. I don't tweet much these days.

Hong Kong

Joined June 2009

Robin Harding
@RobinBHarding
Feb 19, 2019
A few thoughts from Japan on Honda's sad decision to close Swindon. (Honda will hold a press conference in Tokyo at 8am UK time.) There are two questions: why and why now? I think the answers are different. 1/
Robin Harding
@RobinBHarding
Feb 19, 2019
Replying to @RobinBHarding
It’s a tragedy really. Swindon was a huge investment, attracted with much difficulty, and started with high hopes. Once it’s gone it’ll never come back. I also wonder when we’ll hear the first UK voices calling for Trump-style protectionism. 8/8
Robin Harding
@RobinBHarding
Jan 31, 2017
Japan accepted 27 refugees in 2015
Anna Fifield
@annafifield
Jan 31, 2017
The Harvard-educated CEO of ‘Japan’s Amazon’ says Trump's Muslim ban made him cry buff.ly/2kIMZuf
Robin Harding
@RobinBHarding
Feb 19, 2019
Replying to @RobinBHarding
Why now? Brexit promises to raise costs for parts and reduce access to the EU - fatal for an already marginal plant. More importantly, it gives a company that hates to close factories or sack people a license to act. 4/
Robin Harding
@RobinBHarding
Feb 19, 2019
Replying to @RobinBHarding
German and French manufacturers always thought Japan would just move assembly home. With the UK outside the EU, the trade deal makes that easy. Past UK policy comes back to bite us. 6/
Robin Harding
@RobinBHarding
Feb 19, 2019
Replying to @RobinBHarding
The next question is Toyota in Burnaston. That is an equally subscale plant. Business logic says Toyota should close it, but like Honda, they’ll try everything to make it work. I’m afraid the mood music from Toyota these days is not encouraging. 7/
Robin Harding
@RobinBHarding
Feb 19, 2019
Replying to @RobinBHarding
The role of the EU-Japan trade deal is interesting. Britain pushed for the earliest possible reduction in EU auto tariffs, believing it would help Japanese assembly plants in the UK. There was some logic to this – if they had access to the EU market. 5/
Robin Harding
@RobinBHarding
Oct 10, 2017
Yuriko Koike hits the streets in Ginza. Traffic flows freely. Attempts to start a chant of “Koike” get nowhere.
Robin Harding
@RobinBHarding
Feb 19, 2019
Replying to @RobinBHarding
Why? Frankly, Swindon *never* made an adequate return for Honda. There's too much capacity in Europe and the situation got worse and worse as Honda’s market share fell. Output at 160k last year is sub-scale. It’s an obvious business decision to close it. 2/
Robin Harding
@RobinBHarding
Feb 19, 2019
Replying to @RobinBHarding
However, Honda has avoided that obvious business decision for many years. Instead, they've tried everything possible to keep Swindon open, such as exporting to the US. 3/
Robin Harding
@RobinBHarding
Jul 21, 2021
Some personal news. The brilliant @JamilAnderlini will be a tough act to follow.
FT Press Office
@FTPressOffice
Jul 21, 2021
.@RobinBHarding has been appointed Asia Editor at the @FT. Read here: on.ft.com/3kTbExZ
Robin Harding
@RobinBHarding
Jun 16, 2016
イギリスのEU離脱に興味あれば、世論調査より賭けのオッズは実際の可能性に近いと思います。
Robin Harding
@RobinBHarding
Apr 4, 2017
Mori Building employs a whole department to maintain this 1:1000 model of Tokyo. Eat your heart out, Trump.
Robin Harding
@RobinBHarding
Mar 9, 2017
US: "Cut your auto tariffs!" Japan: "They're zero." US: "Well change your auto regulations!" Japan: "We follow the UN standards." US: "Errr"
Shawn Donnan
@sdonnan
Mar 9, 2017
Peter Navarro's plan to reduce bilateral deficits? Get Japan and Germany to buy more US goods... @WSJ wsj.com/articles/to-re…