Yazaki plant to close

Samoa’s largest private employer, Japanese auto parts maker Yazaki, has announced its Apia factory will close with the loss of 740 jobs, in a major blow for the tiny Pacific nation.

Yazaki blamed knock-on effects from the shutdown of Australia’s car industry for the closure, which will be completed by the end of 2017.

In a statement released late Tuesday, it cited “the competitive, fast changing, automotive business environment, such as, the withdrawal of the... automotive manufacturing sector within Australia”.