Nissan signs deal for Chery to build cars at Sunderland

The non-binding agreement would see China's third-largest carmaker assemble Omoda and Jaecoo branded vehicles at Nissan's UK plant starting in 2027. Sunderland has been running at roughly 50 percent capacity following Nissan's global restructuring, making the contract manufacturing deal crucial for safeguarding jobs. The arrangement gives Chery a ready-made European production base without building new capacity, while Nissan monetizes idle infrastructure. Chinese automakers are increasingly shifting from pure imports to embedded manufacturing partnerships in Western markets.