TOKYO (Reuters) - Honda Motor said on Tuesday it will hold a news conference at 0800 GMT, a day after a British lawmaker said the Japanese car maker will announce the closure of its only British factory, in another blow to UK's auto industry before Brexit.
Shutting the Swindon factory in southern England - Honda's second plant closure in 2022 - will result in 3,500 job losses, Justin Tomlinson, a Conservative lawmaker, told Reuters on Monday.
Honda said Chief Executive Takahiro Hachigo will attend the news conference on Tuesday. It said the conference will address a change in operational structure.
If Honda says it is shutting the factory, it will be one of several automakers reassessing their presence in the UK and Europe.
Two weeks ago bigger Japanese rival Nissan cancelled plans to build its X-Trail sport utility vehicle in Britain.
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Last month, Britain's biggest automaker Jaguar Land Rover, and Ford Motor Co separately announced sweeping job cuts in Europe.
For Honda, declining demand for diesel vehicles, tougher emissions regulations and uncertainty over Britain's expected departure from the European Union next month have clouded its manufacturing prospects in the region.
(Reporting by Chang Ran-Kim and Naomi Tajitsu in Tokyo; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
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