Samsung to supply LCD TV panels to Funai-Nikkei

TOKYO, July 29 (Reuters) - South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co (005930.KS) sill start supplying LCD TV panels to Japan's Funai Electric Co (6839.OS) in September, the Nikkei business daily reported on Wednesday.

Samsung will start out supplying about 500,000 panels a year, a good portion of which will be for 32-inch models, the newspaper said.

The deal will give Samsung a new customer for its panels while giving Funai a stable supply of the key component, the Nikkei said.

Funai, which sold 3.47 million LCD TV sets globally in the past financial year, currently buys panels from Taiwan's Chi Mei Optoelectronics 3009.TW and South Korea's LG Display Co and other makers, the Nikkei said. (Reporting by Nathan Layne)