The Weekly News Update is a weekly roundup of business news from around the Asia-Pacific region, covering Fusion Consulting's core industry practices: chemicals, consumer & retail, financial services, industrial & logistics, information & communication technology, life science and media & leisure. If you have colleagues or friends who may be interested in subscribing, please forward this email to them and copy knowledge@fusionc.com.    Major chemical company expansion in Asia-Pacific   Rohm & Haas has been named the most vigorous chemical company in  Asia-Pacific in the latest Asia-Pacific Chemical Business Vitality Index report,  out-competing its chemical and energy sector peers with a winning combination of  regional presence, revenue performance and innovation. Request your free copy  here.

Chemical

Asia - BASF mulls more manufacturing, R&D investments Source: Business Times Singapore, 4 March 2008 German chemicals firm BASF is exploring further manufacturing as well as research and development (R&D) investment possibilities in Singapore as part of its Asian expansion plans. BASF's upcoming expansions in Asia are aimed at countering the impact of an economic slowdown in the United States and Eurozone on the group. The group recently opened its second global R&D centre in Singapore - for organic electronics, after its first nanotechnology surfaces laboratory. In manufacturing, it will spend EUR900 million (US$1.4 billion) more this year to expand its Nanjing petrochemical cracker. It is also planning a new world-scale MDI chemicals plant in Chongqing, as well as others in Asean, India and Japan. India - Excise pain for petrochemical companies Source: Economic Times, 1 March 2008 Budget 2008 has made it more difficult for export-oriented units (EOUs) to sell in the Indian market. EOUs, generally eligible to sell up to 50% of their annual sales domestically, will now have to pay customs duty at 50% of applicable rates for such sales, compared to 25% till now. Indian chemical companies, Reliance Industries, South Asian Petrochemicals and IG Petrochemicals, will witness an erosion in their competitive advantage when selling in India. Also, costs are likely to go up for polymer manufacturers as the finance minister has re-imposed 5% import duty on naphtha, from nil in 2007. This will adversely impact companies like Reliance Industries and Haldia Petrochemicals, which use naphtha for polymer production. Japan - Mitsubishi Chem, Teijin plan carbon fibre auto parts Source: Reuters, 29 February 2008 Japanese synthetic fiber maker Teijin Ltd. and chemical producer Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation each plan to begin mass production of carbon fiber automotive parts by 2010. The move is in response to growing demand from carmakers for light but strong parts to boost fuel efficiency as consumers grapple with soaring oil prices and have become more conscious of global warming when making a purchase. Teijin said that the carbon fibre market is expected to produce 44,000 tonnes in 2010, double the output of 2005. Major Japanese firms produce about 70% of the world's carbon fibre. Teijin, which controls 20% of the global carbon fiber market, is ranked second in this field, after Toray Industries Inc, which has a market share of some 30%. View an example of our experience in this industry. Back to list of articles. Visit our website to sign up for free intelligence on Asian markets.

This Weekly News Update is a free newsletter, providing a round-up of the week's Asia-Pacific news from our core industry practices. If you have colleagues or friends who may be interested in subscribing, please forward this email to them and copy knowledge@fusionc.com.

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