The factory in Béthune employs 863 people and has a production capacity of about 17,000 tyres a day, Bridgestone said in a statement on Wednesday.

In operation since 1961, Bridgestone plans to start talks about closing the factory due to a drop in demand for low profile tyres, which the Béthune factory mainly produces.

The statement did not provide an estimate on the financial impact of the closure.

(Reporting by Sakura Murakami; editing by Jason Neely)