'Carlsberg' buys eight breweries in China

Danish brewery `Carlsberg` has bought eight breweries from the Chinese company `Chongqing Beer`, with intention to increase its presence at the Chinese market.

With the transaction worth 1,4 billion krunas (around 200 million EUR), Carlsberg became majority owner of the factories (60%). The capacity of the factories is 12 million hl per year.

With this purchase, Carlsberg plans to intensify the growth on the Asian market, in order to compensate the slow down in Western Europe.

In the second half of the year, the company has started construction of a brewery in Burma and the other in China.

Sale of Carlsberg beer has made 11% increase on annual level in the first trimester in China, but Asian market still participates with only 15% in the entire sale value of this producer.