Hundreds of UK jobs at risk as Japanese bearings firm plans factory closure

A Japanese manufacturing steadfast has revealed plans to unopen a mill successful County Durham, placing hundreds of jobs astatine risk.

NSK said it was proposing to adjacent its tract successful Peterlee arsenic portion of a strategy to exit unprofitable businesses.

The factory, which produces bearings for the automotive industry, employs astir 350 people.

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NSK said it had begun consultations with national representatives connected its plans.

The institution archetypal opened the Peterlee tract successful 1976. It has different UK manufacturing installation astatine Newark successful Nottinghamshire and different 3 successful Germany and Poland.

The Peterlee mill produces bearings for steering columns and instrumentality hubs.

Its customers are understood to see chap Japanese steadfast Nissan, which has sprawling car accumulation facilities conscionable up the seashore astatine adjacent Sunderland.

Its connection said NSK Europe had faced "persistent challenges successful the profitability of locally manufactured products".

"NSK volition proceed discussions with stakeholders and supply enactment measures for affected unit if the closure proceeds, which is expected to beryllium completed nary aboriginal than March 2027.

"The institution has not yet determined the afloat interaction of this determination connected its concern performance," the connection concluded.

Challenges for UK manufacturers successful caller times see precocious vigor costs, though the Peterlee mill is understood to person been tally connected powerfulness generated purely from wind.

Sky News was seeking further accusation from NSK and the plant's national representatives.