Dell, HP Confronting Shortage of Laptop Batteries

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters)—Dell Inc said on Tuesday the personal-computer industry was experiencing a shortage of laptop batteries partly because of a recent fire at a major supplier, but the company was working with other suppliers to limit any price increases.

Dell, the world's second-largest PC maker after Hewlett-Packard Co., also said prices of its separately sold batteries used as replacements or for surplus power had gone up because of the shortage caused partly by the March 3 fire at LG Chem's Ochang plant.

LG Chem is the second biggest South Korean battery maker. The fire contributed to a worldwide battery shortage that could affect up to 40 percent of second-quarter shipments at Asustek Computer,  Taiwan's No. 2 PC maker, an Asustek executive told Reuters earlier on Tuesday.

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