Honda to downsize Spanish factory
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
TOKYO, Nov 15 (AFP): Japanese auto giant Honda Motor has decided to scale down its Barcelona factory in a bid to overhaul its motorcycle operations in Europe, a report said Monday.
The Spanish factory, which has annual output capacity of 50,000 units, would stop making motorcycles at the end of March, the Nikkei newspaper said.
These operations would then be gradually transferred to an Italian plant that now rolls out 170,000 units a year, it said.
The Spanish factory would however continue making parts after March, the newspaper said.
Honda has been focusing resources on emerging markets such as India, where its bikes continue to sell well, while motorcycle sales fall in Japan, Europe and the United States.
Philippines issues fresh rice tender for 600,000 tonnes
SINGAPORE, Nov 16 (Bloomberg): The Philippines, the world's biggest rice buyer, issued its third tender for 2010 supplies after storms damaged crops and the country accelerates imports to secure shipments amid surging prices.
The Philippines will hold a tender for 600,000 tonnes of 25 per cent broken rice on December 8, a week after a record 600,000 tonne tender on December 1, according to a notice advertised in local newspapers Monday.
"India will also be importing rice. We have to secure our supplies ahead of everybody else," Romeo Jimenez, director of the authority, said in a phone interview from Manila Monday. "Prices will rise."
The Spanish factory, which has annual output capacity of 50,000 units, would stop making motorcycles at the end of March, the Nikkei newspaper said.
These operations would then be gradually transferred to an Italian plant that now rolls out 170,000 units a year, it said.
The Spanish factory would however continue making parts after March, the newspaper said.
Honda has been focusing resources on emerging markets such as India, where its bikes continue to sell well, while motorcycle sales fall in Japan, Europe and the United States.
Philippines issues fresh rice tender for 600,000 tonnes
SINGAPORE, Nov 16 (Bloomberg): The Philippines, the world's biggest rice buyer, issued its third tender for 2010 supplies after storms damaged crops and the country accelerates imports to secure shipments amid surging prices.
The Philippines will hold a tender for 600,000 tonnes of 25 per cent broken rice on December 8, a week after a record 600,000 tonne tender on December 1, according to a notice advertised in local newspapers Monday.
"India will also be importing rice. We have to secure our supplies ahead of everybody else," Romeo Jimenez, director of the authority, said in a phone interview from Manila Monday. "Prices will rise."