Renault Samsung's April sales dip 41 pct on weak exports

SEOUL, May 2 (Yonhap) -- Renault Samsung Motors Corp. said Thursday its sales plunged 41 percent last month from a year earlier on weaker exports.

Renault Samsung sold 13,720 vehicles in April, down from 23,096 units the previous year, the company said in a statement.

"An extended dispute between the company and its labor union over wages and working conditions resulted in production losses and hurt sales last month," a company spokesman said.

Domestic sales fell 11 percent to 6,175 units last month from 6,903 units a year ago. Exports nose-dived 53 percent to 7,545 from 16,193 vehicles during the same period, the statement said.

In the January-April period, its sales dropped 40 percent to 52,930 autos from 87,996 in the same four months in 2018, it said.

The company's current lineup includes the SM3 compact, the all-electric SM3 Z.E. sedan, the QM3 small SUV, and the SM5, SM6 and SM7 sedans.

Renault S.A. has an 80 percent stake in Renault Samsung.

kyongae.choi@yna.co.kr
(END)