Vinamilk

MNCs in the News-2018-01-12

China moving to make Free Trade Zones (FTZs) freer. China punishes Marriott over survey that lists Hong Kong, Macao, and Tibet as independent countries. Apple’s iCloud darkens as it transfers the service to a Chinese company that will operate it and keep all data in China. French Finance Minister welcomes Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) in France provided it is not “looting.” President Donald Trump’s pressure seems to have driven Toyota and Mazda to select Alabama for USD $1.6 billion production facility. NEC acquires Northgate Public Services for USD $640 million following the British government’s promotion of digitalization. South Korea’s state-operated Korean Development Bank sets price floor on sale of struggling construction firm Daewoo Engineering & Construction. Hyundai invests in Singapore’s Grab in effort to expand in Southeast Asia and reduce reliance on the tumultuous China market. Indonesia’s Ministry of Finance to reevaluate investment attraction programs after no companies applied in 2017. Jakarta and Freeport-McMoRan seek to resolve by June a host of operational issues that plague the future of Grasberg mine. Nissan shortlists Thailand as possible location for Asia-Pacific EV manufacturing facility due to Thai investment incentives. Thai Minister says Chinese investment into country’s rubber plantations must be carefully considered and not impact local farmers. Johor Sultan invests USD $100 million in Sri Lanka’s first pharmaceutical manufacturing sector. New policy decree by Hanoi allows foreign enterprises to provide logistics services in Vietnam. Several of Vietnam’s efforts to divest state-owned enterprises at the end of 2017 did not catch much investor attention.

MNCs in the News-2017-11-24

Skype loses Apple app store connection in China due to government regulation. Illegal overtime at Apple supplier Foxconn plant in Henan stopped. Chinese official reports Chinese firms employed more than 1.3 million people abroad in 2016. According to Chinese railway authorities, China has 20 overseas railway projects right now with investment around $15 billion. Bad press on Uber’s data theft cover-up may push SoftBank to renegotiate the terms of USD $10 billion investment deal due to impending legal action. Air bag maker Takata finalizes agreement to sell assets to Chinese owned Key Safety Systems to obtain cash needed to cover court imposed penalties. US trade commission’s proposed import tariffs on washing machines may lead Samsung and LG to reassess whether building new US factories would still be beneficial. South Korea’s SK Group sells used car affiliate to Australia’s Carsales Holdings in face of government barriers to further expansion. Indonesian government looking for more than USD $800 million in private foreign investment to develop tourism near Lake Toba. Real Estate Indonesia invites Japanese developers to engage in housing projects after Japan’s Prime Minister reaffirmed his country’s commitment to increasing investment in Indonesia. DHL to invest over USD $350 million to develop its IT services in Malaysia, contributing to Kuala Lumpur’s national digital transformation agenda. Nestlé selects Malaysia for global procurement hub investment as Malaysian Minister announces Kuala Lumpur strives to position the country as a preferred investment destination. Jardine Matheson and Fraser and Neave seek to increase stakes in Vinamilk as Vietnam continues to divest in its state-owned industries, albeit cautiously. Hanoi cooperating with World Bank to create new regulations to increase FDI in Vietnam as country seeks to diversify FDI sources.

MNCs in the News-2017-10-13

American businesses not uniformly in favor of Washington moving aggressively against China about the latter’s intellectual property right (IPR) violations. China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) approves HP-Samsung printer deal subject to conditions. China’s high-speed rail project in Thailand off track due to environmental approval issues. Sinopec to sell Argentine oil assets and incur major losses in the process. Denso Corp. announces plans for USD $1 billion EV plant in Tennessee, designed to meet changing government automobile and environmental demands. Toyota reaffirms intent to build new Auris in UK, provided the British government avoids hard Brexit deal. Chinese investment in South Korea drops due Chinese government restrictions, hitting the South Korean economy. Korean retailers to shift from China to Southeast Asia as business and political tensions between Korea and China show no signs of improvement. Indonesia needs foreign investment to develop 30 ports and airports and Jakarta is supporting great foreign investment through deregulation and other measures. Indonesian and Belgian firms sign three infrastructure development memoranda of understanding to profit from Indonesia’s attractiveness. Sumitomo forms Thai real estate market joint venture (JV) to profit from the Thai government development of the country’s infrastructure. Thailand’s National Legislative Assembly approves new Eastern Economic Corridor stimulus bill in a move to attract foreign investment. Malaysian government attracts Chinese firm to build USD $3 billion steel production plant in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. Vietnam attracted over USD $25 billion in foreign direct investment in the first three quarters of this year owing to its political stability. Asian investors turning to Vietnam for expansion opportunities as domestic markets shrink and Hanoi opens key industries to investors.

MNCs in the News-2016-09-30

China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) dismisses foreign business concerns about the investment environment for foreign direct investment (FDI). Microsoft, whose Windows 8 was banned two years ago on government computers, is now working on a localized government operating system for China. Outward FDI (OFDI) by Chinese financial institutions jumped 26 percent in 2015 while Chinese OFDI hit a new record. Chinese private firms become the dominant Chinese overseas direct investors in 2015. ChemChina seeks European Union approval of its immense acquisition of Syngenta AG. The parties involved in the Hinkley Point nuclear power complex project, which involves a major Chinese role, finally signed a contract for the deal. China and Thailand struggle to settle issues pertaining to a major joint railway project. China moves to bolster its investment, trade, and other forms of cooperation with Cuba. Japanese business delegation asks China to enhance exit procedures and antitrust rules. Indonesia may impose more than USD $400 tax bill on Google. Foreign pharmaceutical companies pour big money into Indonesia in anticipation of new health care opportunities. FDI accounts for more than 30 percent of Malaysian investment in the first six months of 2016. Thailand is moving to tighten tax collection rules for foreign internet and technology firms. Vietnam moving towards eliminating various caps on foreign involvement in its banking sector. Vietnam’s planned divestiture of Vinamilk could be a very positive sign for the country’s privatization drive.