Mazda is considering a permanent exit from Russia after its invasion of Ukraine put a halt on the Japanese carmaker’s production in the country.
The company said its withdrawal is under discussion as it sees no path to restarting production in Russia, following a report in the Yomiuri daily that said it had decided to pull out. The Hiroshima-based carmaker had manufactured cars for the Russian market in the eastern city of Vladivostok since 2012, according to the Yomiuri.
Akira Machida, a Mazda spokesman, said the company has begun discussions with its partner in Russia, Sollers, and other stakeholders there. It sold about 30,000 cars in the country in 2021 and has not yet made a decision about the future of its local employees, Machida said.