Japan’s Panasonic is considering shifting all its production of mobile phone handsets overseas as early as this summer, a report said yesterday.
The electronics giant, which already produces some handsets abroad, is considering ending production at a factory in central Shizuoka Prefecture, where almost half its handsets are made, the Nikkei Shimbun said.
Panasonic, Japan’s third--largest handset manufacturer behind Sharp and Fujitsu, will use the -factory for repairs and after-sales care, and employees there will keep their jobs for the time being, the report said.
Work from the Shizuoka factory will be moved to Beijing and Malaysia, and some will be outsourced to other manufacturers abroad, although the report did not say where.
The electronics giant has warned it would see its worst-ever net loss of ￥780 billion (US$9.4 billion) for the year to last month, blaming factors including the strong yen and flooding in Thailand.
RSS