BMW ends 180 agency staff contracts at Mini factory in Oxford

Move comes as industry grapples with impact of Donald Trump's steep 25% tariffs on imported cars

Mini owner BMW has ended 180 agency staff contracts at its factory in Oxford as the British car industry grapples with global economic uncertainty and steep US tariffs.

Donald Trump announced 25% tariffs in March, hitting all cars imported to the US from overseas from 3 April, in the hope of forcing carmakers to invest in production in America. The tariffs have left British manufacturers who sell large numbers of cars to the US scrambling for a response.