Japanese automaker Nissan on Thursday announced 9,000 job cuts as it slashed its annual sales forecast, saying it was taking urgent measures to tackle "a severe situation".
The company reported a 93 percent plunge in net profit in the first half as CEO Makoto Uchida told reporters that weak sales in the North American market were a major factor.
Nissan and its domestic rivals are also struggling to stand their ground in China, as fast-growing electric vehicle firms backed by Beijing race ahead.
"Facing a severe situation, Nissan is taking urgent measures to turnaround its performance and create a leaner, more resilient business capable of swiftly adapting to changes in the market," a company statement said.
"Nissan will cut global production capacity by 20 percent and reduce its global workforce by 9,000," it added.
Uchida "will voluntarily forfeit 50 percent of his monthly compensation starting in November 2024 and the other executive committee members will also voluntarily take a pay reduction accordingly", the statement said.
The firm now expects net sales of 12.7 trillion yen ($80 billion) -- down from 14 trillion previously forecast.
But Nissan did not issue a net profit forecast on Thursday, having downgraded it in July to 300 billion yen. In the six months to September, net profit was just 19.2 billion yen.
"Net income is to be determined due to ongoing assessment of costs necessary for the planned turnaround efforts," Uchida said.
Nissan's "core" vehicle models are not performing as well as before in North America, he added. "From the cost perspective, and the brand-strength perspective, we will rebuild our brand in America," Uchida said.
Among other measures, the automaker will reduce its stake in Mitsubishi Motors by selling shares back to the firm.
It said its stake in Mitsubishi will fall to around 24 percent from 34 percent currently. Uchida added that Nissan would keep close ties with the company.
Nissan has seen a turbulent decade that included the shock 2018 arrest of former boss Carlos Ghosn, who later jumped bail and fled Japan concealed in a music equipment box.
Ghosn remains an international fugitive in Lebanon and denies the allegations against him. He said he fled Japan because he did not believe he could receive a fair trial.
When asked about Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election, Uchida said Nissan was "hearing various things, like tariffs, but it's not just us".
"We will be lobbying, and the direction of our medium- to long-term plans should remain, but we will conduct our business while monitoring the situation carefully," he added.
© 2024 AFP
29 Comments
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Asiaman7
The continuing consequences of actions by Japanese management threatened by Carlos Ghosn.
In the years following Ghosn's departure, Nissan's profit margins have been roughly half of what they were during Ghosn's tenure, and significantly lower than other leading manufacturers.
sakurasuki
Japan doesn't deserve Ghosn and also please don't blame Ghosn for this one, it's been several years with multiple quarters. It just shows growth happened because Ghosn, without Ghosn there's no growth.
リッチ
All of them I’m sure in all non-third world countries and the US where salaries are high. Lets take advantage of SEA
Samit Basu
This is the beginning of the end of Japan's auto industry.
Recall that Carlos Ghosn was the first to push a Japanese automaker toward EV, but his Japanese subordinates staged a coup and kicked him out, and Nissan has been in a downward spiral ever since.
Japan's children born today will ask their parents if Japan used to make automobiles, because all the new automobiles are imported, just like how a Japanese teenager on her iphone today is amazed that Japan used to make smart phones but all phones are now imported.
sakurasuki
@Asiaman7 good point
This is additional fact from May 2024.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/232958/revenue-of-the-leading-car-manufacturers-worldwide/
Mickelicious
Carma.
dagon
Couldn't happen to a nicer company.
PTownsend
With Elon Musk central to Beijing's fast-growing electric vehicle control, and Musk's rumored involvement in a Trump administration in which Trump and his GOP lackies push for increasing the use of fossil fuels, it will be interesting to see which way the US goes, and whether MbS, MbZ Putin,Exxon, BP, Shell and the other global masters of oil/gas and war will continue to have global hegemony and keep the fossil era going until the planet is damaged beyond repair. US Americans used the remaining bits of the republic's democratic principles to elect a fossil, and need to be held accountable for voting him in.
BigP
Come back Carlos Ghosn. All is forgiven.
Michael Machida
Good for them. Karma.
Brian Trout
Asiaman7 obviously upset the Burgermeister by calling attention to the unmentionable.
garymalmgren
One of the first things that Ghosn did was to TRIM the workforce by 21.000,
Meiyouwenti
Ghosn must be gloating. He got away with Nissan’s money when the automaker was better off. If you think EV will ever replace gasoline cars, you’re wrong. That’s not going to happen.
Norm
The company was on the verge of bankruptcy at that time.
How many of the 21,000 eventually got hired back — to a company that still existed?
niklay
There was no need to impose sanctions against Russia. The Chinese quickly took advantage of the free shisha on the market. And Japan's American friends will not allow Japanese manufacturers to dominate the American market.
SauloJpn
We have seen this downturn so many times before. First Company A starts producing something that is really desirable in Japan, sales go thru the roof, then worldwide sales hit follows. Other companies around the world start to improve sad product, Company A is slow to react or in case of Nissan, they were not slow but lacked research, but all is good because Japanese "jorenkyaku" are still buying their product like hot cake. Few people will notice that Company A production lines around the world are starting to close down or shift production to smaller factories, but sales in Japan are still good, giving the impression that they still have a hit product. Few people will acknowledge that their loyal costumers are very afraid to buy something made by a foreign company even if it is better and cheaper (actually we will never admit that something from outside is better). Then comes a product that actually is really good, like the Iphone, gopro, Lg tvs etc and take away most of the remaining domestic sales. People will wonder why the company that had the head start did not foresee this change in trend when actually the aversion to foreign companies and loyalty to old japanese ones is what really held them back. Other countries will heavily tax foreign products to help domestic production, it is called protectionism, here it is just how it goes, no taxes needed.
EV is the automotive sector that has seen the largest growth in the last decade worldwide but thanks to a cheaper petrol price in the last year coupled with a increase in battery supply price there was an uptick for fuel efficient cars sales, mostly hybrids. Batteries are still expansive to produce and they will continue to be expensive because of all the demand. Cheaper hybrids are fine and Japanese companies should really cash in right now but why can't they also be heading the new trend? BYD seems to be doing just fine producing Hybrids and EVs. BMW has sold more EVs than Tesla in Europe, but here, all the EVs are really lagging behind the competition. Nissan Aria and Toyota BZ4 have years of waiting, that is if they let you on the waiting list. Internationally they sell ok because of their famous brand names but the technology is still years behind their competitors. For instance, one of the most crucial part of moving from an ICE car to an EV is charging time and that really is something that these cars show how far behind they really are, being 5 to 10 times slower to charge than their counterparts, that will translate to a charge time in minutes to a charge time in hours.
I really hope we can change this course around and avoid seeing this iconic sector of Japanese industry meet the same fate of the electronics sector that is not dead but has not been a leader in the segment for many years. I also tend to buy Made in Japan, but if we really want to see domestic companies being worldwide leaders and trend makes we have to make them earn our loyalty every time we open our wallets.
Chiao Chiao
LOL, With the exception of Nissan Japanese Autos companies are make record profits.
Chiao Chiao
Because Nisssan does not a hybrid and put all its eggs into E cars.
Chiao Chiao
Nissan put all into eggs into E- Cars. And...
Hybrid cars are having a moment as Americans fear EVs just aren't reliable
https://qz.com/hybrid-vehicle-popular-ev-demand-ford-toyota-hyundai-ey-1851643115
It was Ghosn idea to go into E-cars, and he blew it. Face the facts.
WoodyLee
"" The company reported a 93 percent plunge in net profit in the first half as CEO Makoto Uchida told reporters that weak sales in the North American market were a major factor.""
Mr. Uchida blaming everyone and everything else but himself, time to step aside sir or bring Ghosn back to fix your screw ups.
WoodyLee
These are 9000 Homes, Families, Citizens, Humans, that are not going to have a happy New Year celeb. because of one man's actions.
WoodyLee
"" Nissan and its domestic rivals are also struggling to stand their ground in China, as fast-growing electric vehicle firms backed by Beijing race ahead. ""
YES, That is TRUE but Nissan sales has been sliding downwards for years before the EV revolution, wait till BYD and other EV manufacturers enter the rest of world markets , WE ARE IN for the shock of our life time, it is only a matter of time.
kurisupisu
Nissan is just uncompetitive and becoming uncompetitive means the end…
WoodyLee
"" Three major Japanese automakers respectively reported new vehicle sales declines in China in January-June, with their combined sales in the six-month period falling 12.9% from a year earlier.
The data suggest that the plight of Japanese automakers, known for their strength in gasoline vehicles, is deepening amid the spread of electric vehicles in China.
Toyota Motor Corp.’s new vehicle sales in China in the first half of 2024 dropped 10.8% from a year before to 785,000 units. Honda Motor Co.’s sales plunged 21.5% to 416,000 units and Nissan Motor Co.’s sales fell 5.4% to 339,000 units. ""
Source:
https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/business/economy/20240710-197739/
WoodyLee
"" Come back Carlos Ghosn. All is forgiven. ""
Not gonna happen, he is living the good life on the Mediterranean Coast with his family sipping wine and enjoying the Lebanese Cuisine, a life he would have never had any other place in Retirement.
OssanAmerica
South Korea would not even have an auto industry if not for Japanese assistance.
In the 1960s and 1970s, South Korea's government prioritized industrial development, including the automotive sector. Japanese automakers such as Toyota, Nissan, and Mazda provided technology and expertise through licensing agreements and partnerships.
One of the most significant collaborations was between Hyundai and Mitsubishi Motors. Mitsubishi provided technical assistance, engines, and blueprints for early Hyundai models like the Hyundai Pony, South Korea’s first domestically produced car in 1975.
While South Korean brand cars obviously dominate their domestic market, in the export market South Koreans automobiles have and continue to gain market share by being priced under Japanese brand cars.
Nissan is far from "over". And Nissan certainly does not represent the entire Japanese auto industry. Toyota sales 2023 10.8 million vehicles, Hyundai group 7.22 million.
8T
Kia and Hyundai have taken over in the USA. Japanese car makers had a good run.
Ricky Kaminski13
This is the sound of the world’s tiniest violin playing. Nissans appeal and legitimacy is long Ghosn with the wind. Wouldn’t touch them with a ten foot pole. Karma’s a bitch.
grc
Those who remember the car industry in the seventies in the UK must be pondering the ‘what goes around…’ line. What Nissan needs now is an outsider who will turn the company around, and then get arrested as thanks