Giving a state subsidy to Nissan may not be the straightforward way to solve the situation either. When the UK government proposed an aid package to persuade BMW to keep the Longbridge plant of its Rover subsidiary open, rival car makers complained while the European commission launched a formal investigation. And if Nissan gets some money, other car firms will want the same. Last week a top manager of Toyota urged Britain to join the euro, and said if Nissan received aid, his company would ask for some too. Nissan is Japan's third-largest car company, but has been struggling to cope with huge debts.
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