When the chips are down: global shortage to keep crimping carmakers

FILE PHOTO: The headquarters of German luxury carmaker BMW is seen in Munich, Germany, July 24, 2020. REUTERS/Michael Dalder/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - BMW and Stellantis became the latest major carmakers to warn on Tuesday that the global semiconductor chip shortage that has bedeviled the industry this year will drag on throughout 2021 and beyond, hitting production and sales.

Carmakers, forced by the COVID-19 pandemic to shut down plants last year, face stiff competition from the sprawling consumer electronics industry for chip deliveries, hit by a series of supply chain disruptions during the pandemic.