Asahi eyes 60% China beer sales boost

SHANGHAI — Asahi Breweries Ltd. hopes to boost its beer sales in China this year by 60 percent from the previous year to 1.2 million cases and to improve efficiency to make its Chinese operations profitable for the first time since its 1994 foray into the market, company officials said Thursday.

With its beer sales in China expanding 16 percent last year to 750,000 cases, the brewer is planning to further increase sales of its mainstay Super Dry lager, mainly in the coastal zone, including Shanghai, they said. One case contains 20 633-milliliter bottles.

It also intends to integrate its Guangdong beer production facilities with its Beijing plant and expand output to cut costs.