War, boycotts not hurting Dell Latin American sales

Bloomberg Business News March 28, 2003, 12:12AM

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Dell Computer Corp., the world's second-largest personal computer maker behind Hewlett-Packard Co., said Thursday its Latin America sales haven't suffered from the Iraqi war and proposed boycotts of U.S. products by critics.

"It's business as usual," Peter Wiegandt, Dell's vice president for Latin America, said after a news conference. "We haven't seen any effect."

Dell's sales in the region increased 51 percent last year compared with 2001, Wiegandt said.

He declined to give sales figures, or make forecasts.

Critics of the war, including groups in Germany and Indonesia, have started boycotts against U.S. products.

The Round Rock-based computer maker has about 650 employees in the region, including a manufacturing plant in Brazil.

Shares of Dell closed down 1 cent Thursday at $27.84 on the Nasdaq Stock Market. They have climbed 4.1 percent this year.