Free, But Fair Trade

One hundred years young and at the dawn of the new millennium, the challenges facing the motor industry are many, but clear. The process of true globalisation must continue, for the customers of the new worlds require it and we must do it in order to guarantee our competitiveness. However, we must be acutely aware that industrial and social demands go hand in hand. This process, together with investments in new models and technology, which must be renewed at a quicker pace in order to satisfy consumer demands and combat increasing competition, means that trade and economic rules must be the same for everyone. Free, but fair, trade. The difficulties we have seen in Asia and Latin America should be seen as temporary difficulties "" part of the growing pains of any expanding economy. For the motor industry, always a long-term planner, our commitments, at least, in these areas will remain largely in place. In Europe the new car market in 1998 should expand by around 2 to 3 per cent.