Carlsberg to invest in Chinese brewery

Danish brewer Carlsberg plans to acquire a 34.5 percent stake in Wusu Brewery in Northwest China¡¯s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the company has announced.

The shares would be bought from Singapore-based Ongo Investment Group and some other minority shareholders, the company said.

Although no involved party disclosed the acquisition price, analysts said the Danish company had probably paid a maximum of about 100 million crowns (US$16.5 million).

Wusu Brewery has capacity of about 2.5 billion liters and a 60 percent market share in the region. After the acquisition, it will be operated as a joint venture between Carlsberg and another Chinese company Blue Sword Group.

In July, Carlsberg paid 115 million crowns for a 50 percent stake in Chinese Lanzhou Huanghe Brewery in Gansu Province, also in West China.

Source: Shenzhen Daily-Agencies