Asahi shifts production to China

TOKYO -- Asahi Group Holdings Ltd. plans to transfer part of its domestic beer production to Beijing Beer Asahi Co., its joint corporation in China. The company said the plan aims to reduce costs and combat the super-strong yen.

Asahi plans to double the current production capacity in the Beijing factory to 100,000 tons annually by 2013 to expand sales in China, as well as exports to Asia and Oceania.

The company also said it will maintain its domestic production capacity.

The Beijing factory currently produces Beijing Beer, Super Dry and other products for the Chinese market.

Asahi said it also plans to make additional capital investments and send an increasing number of Japanese engineers to the Beijing factory to increase productivity.

The company has set a goal to raise its overseas sales ratio from 6.6 percent in the period ended in December 2010 to 20 to 30 percent by 2015.

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