Volkswagen in crisis talks with supplier

Volkswagen has held emergency talks with a supplier in a dispute that has forced the company to halt production of its best-selling Golf and Passat after the parts maker took the unprecedented step of cutting off deliveries of transmission and seat components.

The shutdown widened yesterday to six factories across Germany, impacting 27,700 employees, or about 10% of VW’s domestic workforce.

Commerzbank estimated the stoppage, now in its fifth day, could cut profit by up to €70m a week.