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And while Ryton makes just a single model, Peugeot's French plants produce at least two, many of which share components to cut costs.
ECONOMIST: Another car plant dies; long live British carmaking
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But British unions are voicing two widely-held suspicions over the decision to close Ryton rather than a French plant that also produces the model.
ECONOMIST: Another car plant dies; long live British carmaking
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Although a strong pound and weak euro may have encouraged Ryton to keep importing parts from outside, the practice sets it apart from most other volume carmakers in Britain.
ECONOMIST: Another car plant dies; long live British carmaking
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Hence, the company's desire to cut costs might have pushed forward the closure of the Ryton factory, though strained industrial relations may also have played a part, observers say.
BBC: NEWS | Business | No surprise as Peugeot pulls out of UK
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The first is that national ownership of companies does matter, and that Ryton was singled out because Peugeot would have faced greater political heat had it closed a factory back home.
ECONOMIST: Another car plant dies; long live British carmaking
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And it has several pressing reasons for closing Ryton.
ECONOMIST: Another car plant dies; long live British carmaking
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The second reason is Ryton's age.
ECONOMIST: Another car plant dies; long live British carmaking
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That is not because British workers are any less productive: at its peak, Ryton produced 63 vehicles per employee a year, just three fewer than Peugeot's factory in Mulhouse and more than the 56 notched up by Poissy, another French plant, according to Global Insight.
ECONOMIST: Another car plant dies; long live British carmaking