The iconic Fisher & Paykel brand will be damaged by the decision to move most of its manufacturing overseas, the EPMU union has said.

An announcement today 430 jobs are set to go at Fisher & Paykel Appliances' Dunedin factory, virtually spells the end of the line for whiteware production in New Zealand.

F&P is following the lead of New Zealand garment manufacturer Icebreaker which does design and research in New Zealand but manufactures in low-cost China.

EPMU national secretary Andrew Little said the company's decision would adversely effect its branding in New Zealand.

"The issue is for Fisher & Paykel, an iconic New Zealand company, is what standards and practices does it operate by? If it's just low cost labour then people are entitled to look at that and look askance as a result," Mr Little said.

He said F&P's decision showed the company was not interested in the local community and only focusing on the bottom line.

F&P chief executive John Bongard said today the company's new global manufacturing strategy would see three manufacturing facilities moved from New Zealand, Australia and the US to Thailand, Italy and Mexico.

Mr Little said the company's comments that the decision was made as a result of the Free Trade Deal with China is "hypocritical" given that the company was shifting to Mexico, a country that enjoys low tariffs when importing to the United States.

Mr Little said the union was meeting with its members but had so far not talked to the company.

"There is an obligation in our collective agreement for the company to consult with us. They've got to give us the information that supports [the closure]," Mr Little said.

He said the union would be looking at all possible ways that they could turn the decision around.

"If we can't then the next best thing will be making sure people are looked after properly and the redundancy processes are put in place," Mr Little said.

ABN Amro analyst Dennis Lee said F&P was simply following the world trend set by global companies such as Sweden's Electrolux.

"They are moving their production to low-cost countries. It's a world-wide trend.

"The indication is quite clear. They have to find the place that can provide them with the lowest cost production," Mr Lee said.

Today's move has been part of an ongoing trend for F&P since 1984 when the then Labour government moved to open the economy up to the outside world in what was known as Rogernomics.