SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s Hyundai Motor <005380.KS> said on Monday its sales fell 13% on-year to 275,044 vehicles globally in February amid a coronavirus outbreak that disrupted supply of parts from China.
Hyundai, which with affiliate Kia Motors <000270.KS> is the world’s No.5 automaker, is the first major player to announce February sales amid the epidemic, giving investors a sense of the virus’ potential impact on the broader industry.
On Friday, Hyundai shut a factory in South Korea after a worker tested positive for the virus, affecting production of popular models such as the Palisade SUV. The plant has since been restarted, a spokesman said.
The flu-like virus, which originated in China, has killed nearly 3,000 and roiled global financial markets as investors and policymakers brace for a steep knock to world growth. South Korea has the most cases of infections outside the mainland.
(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
