Nissan, after declaring Russia as one its top European area for sales, ahead of the UK, has frozen orders from the region..
According to The Northern Echo newspaper, Nissan has been forced to take action
as the country’s economy continues its dramatic fall.
Russia’s currency has tumbled and the
country is close to recession as it battles falling oil prices and sanctions
over its role in the Ukraine crisis, putting pressure on vehicle manufacturers.
Nissan told The Northern Echo its Sunderland factory has previously sent its
popular Qashqai and Juke models to the country.
Carlos Ghosn, chief executive of the Nissan-Renault
Alliance, says Nissan has stopped taking orders until it has a better picture
of Russia’s financial standing.
“We have suspended taking orders,” he added.
“We didn’t suspend orders overall, just on some models. We said, ‘sorry, but
until we see where this situation is going, we don't take orders’.”
Ghosn noted the freeze is limited to
specific models, with orders already placed due to be honoured.
The halt is not expected to have any serious
implications on Nissan's work at its Sunderland plant. Last month, the firm
revealed it had made its two millionth Qashqai in the North-East.
Nissan stated that of the two million Qashqais
made in Sunderland since December 2006, 85 per cent (1,706,633) have been
exported to 132 international markets.
The company is now eyeing its next phase of
growth when production of the sporty Infiniti model becomes the first
Sunderland-built model exported to the US.
A UK team has travelled to Japan to refine
prototypes of the luxurious Infiniti Q30 hatchback, with production trials due
to start in February ahead of car-making in August.
The Sunderland plant is being extended and
280 staff recruited to make it capable of producing up to 60,000 Infiniti
vehicles a year.
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