TOKYO — Nissan Motor plans to scrap a production line at one of its two U.S. auto assembly plants as part of an effort to cut 300 billion yen ($2.79 billion) in annual costs, Nikkei learned Tuesday.
The closure of a line at the factory in Canton, Mississippi, is expected to reduce the Japanese automaker’s U.S. production capacity by more than 10% from an estimated at 1.1 million vehicles a year. Work at the facility has been halted since mid-March.
Nissan made about 690,000 vehicles in America last fiscal year, down 15% from fiscal 2018.
The company is expected to report its first consolidated net loss in 11 years when it announces fiscal 2019 earnings Thursday. Worldwide sales sank 13% by volume to 4.79 million vehicles.
The automaker looks to slash its global capacity by roughly 20% to 5.4 million vehicles a year. It is considering steps including shuttering an assembly plant in Barcelona.