Mitsubishi to End Production in the U.S., Sell Plant

DETROIT, July 24 (Reuters) - Mitsubishi Motors Corp said on Friday it will stop building cars at a factory in Normal, Illinois, and seek a “strategic buyer” for the plant.

The company, one of Japan’s smallest automakers, has faced declining U.S. demand and an expiring union contract at its only U.S. plant.

In a statement, Mitsubishi said its board will seek a buyer to keep the factory running and preserve jobs. The plant’s roughly 900 hourly workers are represented by the United Auto Workers union.

Mitsubishi said it will continue to sell vehicles in the United States. The company on Thursday had declined to confirm a report by Japan’s Nikkei news service that it planned to close the U.S. plant.