Electronics giant Sony is planning to merge its UK-headquartered European business into its Dutch arm as Japanese companies manoeuvre to soften the impact of a no-deal Brexit.

The move will see Sony’s £3.3bn European business register its corporate seat, effectively its legal headquarters, in Amsterdam.

The combined arm will be responsible for the Tokyo giant’s electronics business in Europe. The deal will be completed on March 29 2019, according to merger documents reviewed by The Daily Telegraph.

The deal will see its current Weybridge-based arm merged into the new business, but will not cost jobs.

Panasonic, the Japanese electronics conglomerate, said it would be fast-tracking orders from its UK manufacturing arm to avoid disruption to its supply chain as the no-deal Brexit risk grows.

The firm, which has a major white goods manufacturing plant near Cardiff, warned in its accounts it was considering “pulling forward orders” as Brexit delays could have a “knock-on effect on production”.