This week, the Federal Court of Australia has ruled against a group of applicant Mercedes-Benz dealers who brought a claim against the manufacturer’s Australian subsidiary (MBAuP) in 2021 alleging, as a result of the imposition of an agency sales model in that market, the appropriation of dealers’ goodwill and customer relationships for no or inadequate compensation. In today’s news you will find NFDA’s update on the case and we have outlined that this decision may yet still be appealed and we will continue to monitor the situation closely. It is also important to remember that the CMA is not constrained to impose this ruling for UK markets, and a more specific examination will be undertaken for UK agency terms when the time is right.
This week, Government confirmed that RT Hon Grant Shapps has now been appointed to Secretary of State for Defence, with Claire Coutinho now confirmed as the new Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. NFDA Policy have already started to open lines of communications with the new minister as it is essential the issues and challenges effecting the decarbonisation of transport is heard by those making the decisions.
Finally, we are excited to announce that Driving Digital will be returning this year on Wednesday 6 December, the day of The Ben Ball, for a special edition welcoming “New Entrants” to the UK market! NFDA’s Driving Digital events are always a huge success, bringing together a selection of key-note speakers to discuss pertinent areas affecting automotive retail. Please save the date and join us on the 6 December at the Lords cricket ground, where we will have speakers joining us from Chinese manufacturers, UK dealer groups, as well as having never-seen-before Chinese product on site for you to see, feel, and potentially add to your supply line! More information on how to register to follow!
