Carlsberg raises stake in Chongqing Brewery

TO FURTHER its Asian expansion, Carlsberg A/S said it has agreed to raise its stake in China's Chongqing Brewery Co Ltd to nearly 30% for about 2.1 billion crowns ($378.7 million). Chongqing Brewery operates 15 breweries in China and produced about 10 million hectolitres of beer in 2009, and is the market leader in the Chongqing province and operates in the surrounding provinces. Carlsberg, the world's fourth-biggest brewer, sold more than 135 million hectolitres of beer last year, which is about 40 billion bottles of beer annually, the company said.Air Max