Feb 23 2010, no 148

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Highlights from this issue:

TOP STORIES
- Swedish Autoliv will acquire US auto parts maker Delphi’s car safety assets in China and South Korea, expecting the purchase to  generate USD 250m in sales in 2010(page 10)

- The media reports about stagnant housing sales have undersestimated the reality, since new housing prices in 70 big cities rose by an average of 11% y-o-y in January, the fastest increase in nearly two years (page 7)

- Danish compulsory pension fund ATP wants to pour EUR 1bn in China, India and Brazil (page 11)

MANUFACTURING
- Akerstroms to sell Swedish remote controls in China, cooperating with Chinese partner
- Swedish Ellen aims to sell millions of probiotic tampons in China, exporting from Europe
- Finnish Outotec wins another EUR 6m order to supply metals plant to China
- Danish Stelton outsources stainless tech to China, closing facility in Zealand
- Swedish Filton starts producing filters in Chongqing, serving customs produce in China
- Swedish EMS firm NOTE buys out JV in China, eyes funding from IPO  
 
FINANCE
- China acts to tighten liquidity twice within one month after bank loans surge in January
- Insurance premium income tops RMB 1 trln for the first time in 2009
- China's state fund CIC reveals USD 10bn portfolio in USA, conservative style
 
FOOD & AGRICULTURE
- China raises official rice purchasing prices to ensure grain crop, after a hike for wheat in 2009
- China's fertiliser output speeds up in 2009, but export & import fall
  
RETAIL & SERVICE
- No 1 Nordic corporate law firm Mannheimer Swartling eager to expand in China  
- US clothes retailer VF corp to open 400 more outlets in China
- Chinese New Year holiday boosts retail sales by 17% and tourism income by 27%
 
IT & MEDIA
- China's software sector buckles economic downturn, sales up 26% in 2009
- China's export of white goods post first downfall in decades in 2009
 
TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS
- Swedish Autoliv acquires in China and Korea, bullish on car safety market in China
- China's motorcycle output saw first drop in years in 2009 owing to shrinking export demand
 
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
- China disallows foreign investors from controlling offshore wind farms, few foreign onshore farms
- Power use surges 40% in January, partly due to distortion from the holiday
 
ECONOMY & POLITICS
- China's foreign trade shows strengh in January; may not appreciate RMB despite pressure
- Mild inflation in January offers relief to tightening woes, inflation may speed up in coming months
- Foreign investment eases in January; more funds from USA but less from EU
- Jiangsu raises minimum wage by double-digit, more provinces and cities to follow suit; lack of labour to make China less attractive as low-cost manufacturing site
 
KEY FIGURES pages
- GDP, industrial output, inflation, consumer price index, current account, currency, foreign trade & investment, regional data, retail trade, money supply, net lending, auto sales and key economic data forecast 2010-2011.

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