The Chinese brewer Huiquan Brewage Group said it expects to post a first-quarter loss this year, as pressure was brought to bear from higher raw material and energy prices. The company did not elaborate on how big the loss would be. However, last month the company said that beer production costs had jumped 20% since the start of the year. The company has been listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange for 14 months.

06 April, 2004