LONDON (AP) — A British car industry group has urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to avoid leaving the European Union without a deal, warning it would present an "existential threat" to the sector.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders wrote the newly installed leader to underscore the importance of the 18.6-billion-pound industry. The letter says a no-deal Brexit "would result in huge tariff costs and disruption that would threaten production."

Less than 100 days before Britain's scheduled withdrawal date, the government doesn't have an approved agreement on the terms that will replace the 45 years of frictionless trade that came with being an EU member. Johnson has threated to take the country out of the 28-nation-trading bloc without a deal.

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