Nissan Plans Factory Closures, 20,000 Job Cuts Across Japan, Mexico, India, Argentina, South Africa

Nissan Motor Co. is planning a significant restructuring that involves closing two car assembly plants in Japan, specifically the Oppama plant and Nissan Shatai's Shonan plant, both located in Kanagawa Prefecture. Additionally, the automaker is considering shutting down plants overseas in Mexico, India, Argentina, and South Africa as part of its cost-cutting measures. These closures are part of a broader plan to reduce the number of production plants globally from 17 to 10 and cut the workforce by about 15%, aiming to improve the company’s financial performance amid weak sales and the collapse of a merger with Honda. Nissan has consolidated production of some models, such as the Frontier and Navara pickups, into a single hub in Mexico. While Nissan has described some reports of closures as speculative and has not provided official confirmation, the planned shutdowns would mark the first domestic plant closures since 2001 and reflect a strategic shift under new CEO Ivan Espinosa. The company is committed to transparency and will communicate any updates as they develop.