German auto conglomerate Daimler AG expects its Q3 2021 sales to be considerably below the second quarter due to supply chain issues caused by the ongoing semiconductor crisis.
Ola Kaellenius, chief executive officer of the Daimler Group, which owns Mercedes Benz, told the media that the shutdowns of chip manufacturing plants in Malaysia due to the COVID-19 pandemic have worsened the issue.
The company shut its plant in Kecskemét, Hungary for three weeks in July-August while reducing output at its Bremen, Germany facility in February this year. Still, Daimler has not disclosed the exact impact on production figures for now. In H1 2021, the company saw a 24pc increase in sales to 1.46 million units, over 1.18 million units sold in H1 2020.
A slew of other manufacturers such as Toyota, General Motors, Ford, and Mahindra have taken similar steps due to the shortage of semiconductor chips.