Nissan to slash production in Japan in May due to chip shortage -sources

By Maki Shiraki

TOKYO (Reuters) - Nissan Motor Co will slash production at several factories in Japan next month due to a critical shortage ofsemiconductors, three sources with direct knowledge of the plantold Reuters on Thursday.

Japan's third-largest automaker will idle its factory in Kyushu, southern Japan, for eight days between May 10 and 19,the sources said, declining to be identified because the plan isnot public.

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The plant, which assembles the Serena minivan,X-Trail SUV and other models, will aim to make up for lostproduction once the supply of chips returns, the people said. Two other domestic assembly plants, the Oppama plant and a Nissan Shatai factory in Kyushu, will cancel the night shift over 15 days between May 10-28, and a fourth factory in Tochigi, eastern Japan, will idle for 10 previously unplanned days next month, the sources said.

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(Reporting by Maki Shiraki; Writing by Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by David Dolan)