Renault to partly idle Spanish plants until end September over chip shortage

FILE PHOTO: The logo of carmaker Renault is pictured at a dealership in Vertou, near Nantes, France, January 13, 2021. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe/File Photo/File Photo

MADRID (Reuters) - French carmaker Renault has started negotiations with unions to extend the partial idling of three of its four factories in Spain until the end of September as a preemptive measure in case a global semiconductor shortage lingers.

Carmakers around the world have been impacted by the shortage of chips used in engine management and driver-assistance systems, which come mainly from Asia, especially Taiwan.