Nissan is set to cut 9,000 jobs across the globe - leaving thousands of workers under threat and uncertainty over the impact on its Sunderland plant.
The car marker is set to scale back production by 20% as part of sweeping cost-saving measures after the firm cut its operating profit forecast by 70% to 150bn yen (£754m).
Nissan has yet to announce what the changes could mean for UK operations, leaving a question mark over the firm's site in Sunderland, which has been in production since 1986.
The Wearside plant - which currently builds a number of its core models including the Qashqai and Juke - had a workforce of around 6,000 people as of June last year.
Nissan recently announced a huge £2bn funding boost for the Sunderland factory, with the site aiming to be fully electric by 2030.
The Japanese firm confirmed it would be building electric versions of the Qashqai, Juke and Leaf at Sunderland in what was described as a "vote of confidence" in the region at the time.
The news of the job cuts comes after, in the first half of the year, global sales at Nissan fell 3.8% and operating profit in Q2 was down 85%.
The announced cuts cover 7% of the brand’s global employees, which currently stands at more than 133,000 people worldwide.
Nissan also now plans to sell up to 10% of Mitsubishi Motors to boost funds.
Nissan President and CEO Makoto Uchida said: “These turnaround measures do not imply that the company is shrinking.
"Nissan will restructure its business to become leaner and more resilient, while also reorganizing management to respond quickly and flexibly to changes in the business environment.
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“We aim to enhance the competitiveness of our products, which are fundamental to our success, and set Nissan back on a path of growth.
"As a cohesive team, we are dedicated to working together to ensure the successful implementation of our plans.”
The PA news agency has approached Nissan GB for comment.
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