Overview
- NSK’s European units, NSK Bearings Europe and AKS Precision Ball Europe, have entered formal collective consultation to withdraw production from two Peterlee sites.
- If approved, the closures would be completed no later than March 2027, with support measures pledged for affected employees.
- The proposal aligns with NSK’s mid‑term plan to reorganise European operations after sustained losses on locally manufactured products.
- The Peterlee factories make automotive bearings supplied to carmakers such as Volkswagen and Renault, with most components exported to mainland Europe.
- Unite condemns the plan as a betrayal and will fight to keep the plants open, while NSK says it has not yet determined the financial impact.