Constellium Exits China JV, Sells Changchun Plant

Constellium sold its ownership stake in an automotive structures joint venture in Changchun, China, to a local automotive holding company, the company said Monday. The buyer was not identified, and terms were not disclosed.

The Changchun facility produces aluminum crash management systems and other structural components for Chinese automakers. It employs about 200 people. The sale removes Constellium from that specific product line in China.

Stephane Corre, president of Constellium’s Automotive Structures and Industry business unit, said the transaction fits the company’s Vision 2028 strategy. “This decision allows us to focus our resources where we can best serve our automotive structures customers and create long-term value,” he said.

The company entered the venture years ago to supply automakers assembling vehicles in China. Its exit narrows exposure to that market. Constellium still runs crash management plants in Europe and North America, supplying Ford, Volkswagen, and Tesla. Those operations remain core to the automotive structures segment.

Without a sale price, the financial impact is hard to size. Constellium generated $8.4 billion in revenue in 2025. The Changchun plant’s contribution was likely small relative to that total. Whether the sale produces a gain or loss could affect quarterly earnings, though the company has not offered guidance.

The sale follows a broader pattern of Western auto suppliers reassessing China operations as local competition intensifies. Constellium’s move is specific: it chooses to concentrate on other automotive structures markets rather than remain in a venture requiring a local partner.

Vision 2028 aims to focus on high-value applications, and the Changchun exit aligns with that goal. In packaging, Constellium has shown the ability to maintain margins even when shipment volumes stagnate, as earlier analysis noted. That segment provides a stable profit base.

The company will report first-quarter 2026 results on April 29, a date set in a previous announcement. The earnings call may shed light on the sale’s financial details and on how management plans to deploy the proceeds.

Corre described the sale as part of a broader effort to simplify Constellium’s footprint and boost competitiveness. The company’s CSTM stock page shows an Alpha Score of Unscored, reflecting insufficient data for that proprietary rating. The stock sits in the Basic Materials sector.

The transaction closes one chapter in China. Constellium now has a leaner automotive structures footprint and a clearer line of sight on where it puts capital next.