Kia's Sept. sales dip 14 pct on chip shortage

SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- Kia Corp., South Korea's second-largest automaker, said Friday its sales fell 14.1 percent last month from a year earlier as an extended global chip shortage weighed on its production.

Kia sold a total of 223,593 vehicles in September, compared with 260,194 vehicles from a year ago, the company said in a statement.

Domestic sales sank 30.1 percent on-year to 35,801 units last month, while exports fell 10.1 percent to 187,792 units during the cited period, it said.

Kia said the continued chip shortage and resurgence of COVID-19 cases are to blame for the lackluster sales last month, saying it will adjust the production schedules to minimize the part shortage's impact on its factory operations.

ejkim@yna.co.kr
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