From http://www.expansion.com/2012/08/19/catalunya/1345404917.html (in Spanish)
From the technology company Huawei to the financial giant ICBC (Industrial and Commercial Bank of China), the main Chinese companies are starting to settle in Catalonia.
ICBC, the Chinese bank that has become the largest financial corporation in the world by profit and market capitalization, has rented a space in Barcelona with the intention of opening their first office in October. At the same time, Hutchison Port Holdings is investing up to € 500 million to enlarge the capacity of the Port of Barcelona, whereas the telecom giant Huawei is currently evaluating the chance to install a repair and post-sales service for their products in Europe beside the former Sony factory in Viladecavalls.
Until now, Chinese investments in Catalonia have been scarce, mostly focused on restaurants and small shops. According to Spanish Ministry of Economy, in 2011 Chinese investments in Catalonia did not even reach € 500,000, whereas Catalan investments in China reached € 790 million in the same period.
However, the situation is starting to change and automotive and telecommunication industries are becoming the two main gates for Chinese investments in Catalonia. Tyre producer Double Star has reached an agreement with a Catalan partner to open a factory in the Maresme county, northeast of Barcelona. And the fact that the city of Barcelona has chosen to be the Mobile World Capital is attracting several companies, among which Taiwanese Toro Development Limited.
Finally, the Chinese group Huayi has acquired the Catalan compressor manufacturer Cubigel, located in Sant Quirze del Vallès, after a struggle with another Chinese company, Donper.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Friday, August 24, 2012
Spanish commercial mission in Shanghai
From http://www.icex.es/icex/cda/controller/pageICEX/0,6558,5518394_5519002_5630587_4600514_Todos%2BPrioritarios_-1_p5762650,00.html?estado=1 (in Spanish)
The Spanish State Secretariat for Foreign Trade, through the Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade (ICEX), and the Economical and and Commercial Office of Spanish Embassy in Shanghai are promoting a commercial mission in Shanghai, China, addressed to interested companies of the following sectors: aeronautics, renewable energies, treatment of urban and industrial wastes, water treatment, modern agriculture, biotechnology, food and drinks, health, leisure, fashion, housing, audiovisual and education.
The event will take place in November 26 - 28, 2012, and interested companies are requested to fill and send this form before August 31st, 2012. For further information, you can contact ICEX office in Madrid either through phone (902-349000), email (informacion@icex.es) or download the following brochure.
The Spanish State Secretariat for Foreign Trade, through the Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade (ICEX), and the Economical and and Commercial Office of Spanish Embassy in Shanghai are promoting a commercial mission in Shanghai, China, addressed to interested companies of the following sectors: aeronautics, renewable energies, treatment of urban and industrial wastes, water treatment, modern agriculture, biotechnology, food and drinks, health, leisure, fashion, housing, audiovisual and education.
The event will take place in November 26 - 28, 2012, and interested companies are requested to fill and send this form before August 31st, 2012. For further information, you can contact ICEX office in Madrid either through phone (902-349000), email (informacion@icex.es) or download the following brochure.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Catalan exports increase by 7.4% in the first semester of 2012
From http://www.catalannewsagency.com/news/business/catalan-exports-increase-74-first-half-year (in English)
Foreign exports by Catalan companies reached €5.13 billion in June, a 6.6% increase compared to June 2011. This figure adds to those of the previous 5 months to reach a total of €29.14 billion, a 7.4% increase compared to the first semester of 2011. The main exporting sectors in Catalonia in June 2012 were chemical manufacturing with €1.32 billion (a 5.3% increase over June 2011), consumer goods with €940 million (a 7.7% increase over June 2011) and the automotive sector with about €880 million. The latter has seen the biggest change in June with an increase of 22.3% over June 2011. For Spain, the increase in June was of 5.1%, with a turnover of €19 billion this June. Catalonia contributed €5.13 billion to the Spanish total, representing 27% of the overall amount.
Foreign exports by Catalan companies reached €5.13 billion in June, a 6.6% increase compared to June 2011. This figure adds to those of the previous 5 months to reach a total of €29.14 billion, a 7.4% increase compared to the first semester of 2011. The main exporting sectors in Catalonia in June 2012 were chemical manufacturing with €1.32 billion (a 5.3% increase over June 2011), consumer goods with €940 million (a 7.7% increase over June 2011) and the automotive sector with about €880 million. The latter has seen the biggest change in June with an increase of 22.3% over June 2011. For Spain, the increase in June was of 5.1%, with a turnover of €19 billion this June. Catalonia contributed €5.13 billion to the Spanish total, representing 27% of the overall amount.
Prices stagnate in Catalonia over July 2012
From http://www.catalannewsagency.com/news/business/prices-catalonia-stagnate-july-increase-26-compared-year-ago (in English)
Prices in Catalonia stagnated (no variation) over the month of July compared to the previous month. Compared to July 2011, they increased by 2.6%, whereas the last 12-month comparison (June 2011 to 2012) showed an increase by 2.2%. This annual inflation rate registered in Catalonia in July was the highest this year, despite the heavy recession environment. For the Catalan provinces, the prices in Barcelona also stagnated, with a 12-month increase of 2.6%; in Girona they increased by 0.2%, with a 12-month increase of 2.3%; in Tarragona prices increased by 0.5%, with a 12-month increase of 2.5%; and in Lleida they decreased by 0.1%, with a 12-month increase of 2.8%. For the whole of Spain, the annual inflation rate at the end of July was 2.2%.
Prices in Catalonia stagnated (no variation) over the month of July compared to the previous month. Compared to July 2011, they increased by 2.6%, whereas the last 12-month comparison (June 2011 to 2012) showed an increase by 2.2%. This annual inflation rate registered in Catalonia in July was the highest this year, despite the heavy recession environment. For the Catalan provinces, the prices in Barcelona also stagnated, with a 12-month increase of 2.6%; in Girona they increased by 0.2%, with a 12-month increase of 2.3%; in Tarragona prices increased by 0.5%, with a 12-month increase of 2.5%; and in Lleida they decreased by 0.1%, with a 12-month increase of 2.8%. For the whole of Spain, the annual inflation rate at the end of July was 2.2%.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Taiwanese company Toro chooses Barcelona as site for its European headquarters
From http://www.europapress.cat/economia/noticia-fira-taiwanesa-toro-escull-barcelona-per-installar-seva-seu-europea-atreta-per-mwcapital-20120731114842.html (in Catalan)
Taiwanese company Toro Development Limited, specialized in the development of digital wallet platforms and mWallet, will establish its new operation and R&D office in Barcelona in 2013. These offices will be located in the city's Mobile World Hub and they will directly serve the European market and also create international exchange opportunities for company employees. The company has started the selection process of 10 engineers from the Barcelona area, who will immediately travel to Taiwan to complete the training before taking their new responsabilities. Agustín Cordón, vicepresident of the Mobile World Capital’s Executive Committee, said that “Toro is undoubtedly one of the world’s leaders in NFC solutions and will play a decisive role in our mWallet program" and also that "Toro has extensive experience in the transformation of mobile devices into mobile wallets so we are very happy to have them onboard and are already looking forward to jointly develop new solutions in this field.”
Taiwanese company Toro Development Limited, specialized in the development of digital wallet platforms and mWallet, will establish its new operation and R&D office in Barcelona in 2013. These offices will be located in the city's Mobile World Hub and they will directly serve the European market and also create international exchange opportunities for company employees. The company has started the selection process of 10 engineers from the Barcelona area, who will immediately travel to Taiwan to complete the training before taking their new responsabilities. Agustín Cordón, vicepresident of the Mobile World Capital’s Executive Committee, said that “Toro is undoubtedly one of the world’s leaders in NFC solutions and will play a decisive role in our mWallet program" and also that "Toro has extensive experience in the transformation of mobile devices into mobile wallets so we are very happy to have them onboard and are already looking forward to jointly develop new solutions in this field.”
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Intense activity of Barcelona's Mayor Xavier Trias in China
From the Twitter account of Barcelona's Mayor, Xavier Trias
Barcelona‘s Mayor, Xavier Trias, is currently having his first official visit to China since he got elected in 2011. In his Twitter account the members of his press team are posting notes and pictures of the main activities of the trip which, among others, have included:
* Meeting with the representatives of Hutchison Port Holdings, who announced their intention to keep on investing in Barcelona
* Attending the launching ceremony of the Samaranch Foundation - See picture at http://instagram.com/p/NA2jUmFyC9/
* Dinner with the Catalan colony in Hong Kong - See picture at http://instagram.com/p/NGNGw0lyPK/
* Meeting with Guo Jinlong (郭金龙), Mayor of Beijing (北京) - See picture at http://yfrog.com/mogjvchj
* Visit of the factory of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. -COMAC- (中国商用飞机有限责任公司) - See picture at http://ow.ly/i/LoVZ
* Meeting with Han Zheng (韩正), Mayor of Shanghai - See picture at http://yfrog.com/odqg1umj
* Meeting with Chinese investors in Shanghai - See picture at http://instagram.com/p/M-PviAFyCo/
* Dinner with businessmen from Catalonia and also from other parts of Spain, asking them to become ambassadors of Barcelona - See picture at http://instagram.com/p/M8Z2SfFyAt/
* Visit to the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), the most important business school in China - See picture at http://yfrog.com/h8lr4nhtj
Xavier Trias' official press release page is including several entries with detailed information (in Catalan) about the Mayor's activities and the agreements reached, like the one with the city of Beijing for a future collaboration on culture, sports, urban development an the promotion of smart cities. Here's a list of the links:
* Trias constata la voluntat de Hutchison de continuar apostant per invertir a Barcelona
* Barcelona i Pequín col·laboraran en cultura, esport, urbanisme i 'smart cities'
* L'alcalde anima als empresaris xinesos a invertir en Barcelona
* Trias demana als empresaris que facin d'ambaixadors de Barcelona a la Xina
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="540"]
Official picture of Xavier Trias from Barcelona city council website[/caption]
Barcelona‘s Mayor, Xavier Trias, is currently having his first official visit to China since he got elected in 2011. In his Twitter account the members of his press team are posting notes and pictures of the main activities of the trip which, among others, have included:
* Meeting with the representatives of Hutchison Port Holdings, who announced their intention to keep on investing in Barcelona
* Attending the launching ceremony of the Samaranch Foundation - See picture at http://instagram.com/p/NA2jUmFyC9/
* Dinner with the Catalan colony in Hong Kong - See picture at http://instagram.com/p/NGNGw0lyPK/
* Meeting with Guo Jinlong (郭金龙), Mayor of Beijing (北京) - See picture at http://yfrog.com/mogjvchj
* Visit of the factory of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. -COMAC- (中国商用飞机有限责任公司) - See picture at http://ow.ly/i/LoVZ
* Meeting with Han Zheng (韩正), Mayor of Shanghai - See picture at http://yfrog.com/odqg1umj
* Meeting with Chinese investors in Shanghai - See picture at http://instagram.com/p/M-PviAFyCo/
* Dinner with businessmen from Catalonia and also from other parts of Spain, asking them to become ambassadors of Barcelona - See picture at http://instagram.com/p/M8Z2SfFyAt/
* Visit to the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), the most important business school in China - See picture at http://yfrog.com/h8lr4nhtj
Xavier Trias' official press release page is including several entries with detailed information (in Catalan) about the Mayor's activities and the agreements reached, like the one with the city of Beijing for a future collaboration on culture, sports, urban development an the promotion of smart cities. Here's a list of the links:
* Trias constata la voluntat de Hutchison de continuar apostant per invertir a Barcelona
* Barcelona i Pequín col·laboraran en cultura, esport, urbanisme i 'smart cities'
* L'alcalde anima als empresaris xinesos a invertir en Barcelona
* Trias demana als empresaris que facin d'ambaixadors de Barcelona a la Xina
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="540"]
Official picture of Xavier Trias from Barcelona city council website[/caption]
First forum Barcelona - Shanghai to be organized in 2013
From http://www.lavanguardia.com/local/barcelona/20120712/54324861605/el-ayuntamiento-y-el-czfb-organizara-el-primer-forum-shangai-barcelona.html (in Spanish)
Barcelona's city council and Barcelona's Consorci de la Zona Franca have already started working together to organize the first Barcelona - Shanghai Forum in the first semester of 2013. Barcelona's Mayor, Xavier Trias, and Jordi Cornet, President of the Executive Committee of the Consorci de la Zona Franca, have already reached an agreement with the Mayor of Shanghai, Han Zheng (韩正), to organize such a special Forum probably around next spring in Shanghai addressed to potential Chinese investors in Barcelona's real estate sector. The Forum will be organized by the Barcelona Meeting Point (BMP) trade fair, the only international and professional real estate exhibition in Spain. This announcement has been made during the second day of Xavier Trias' trip to China, in which apart from meeting Han Zheng (韩正) he has also visited the facilities of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. -COMAC- (中国商用飞机有限责任公司).
Xavier Trias and Jordi Cornet have also met some 30 representatives of Chinese top companies and they have encouraged them to invest in Barcelona, which has been described as "the first export area of Spain and that has a prominent economy in many sectors, such as tourism". Jordi Cornet has also referred to the expected increase of traffic in the Barcelona Port once the the enlargment of the TerCat container terminal is finished, something expected to happen around September 2012. Terminal Catalunya S.A. (TerCat) is a shipping & logistics company managed by the Chinese holding Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) that in 2011 obtained a credit of 280 million € to finance the first phase of the enlargment of the Prat pier container terminal, within the Barcelona Port Authority. Xavier Trias has stated his will to turn Barcelona's Port as the gate through which goods coming from Shanghai would reach Europe.
Barcelona's city council and Barcelona's Consorci de la Zona Franca have already started working together to organize the first Barcelona - Shanghai Forum in the first semester of 2013. Barcelona's Mayor, Xavier Trias, and Jordi Cornet, President of the Executive Committee of the Consorci de la Zona Franca, have already reached an agreement with the Mayor of Shanghai, Han Zheng (韩正), to organize such a special Forum probably around next spring in Shanghai addressed to potential Chinese investors in Barcelona's real estate sector. The Forum will be organized by the Barcelona Meeting Point (BMP) trade fair, the only international and professional real estate exhibition in Spain. This announcement has been made during the second day of Xavier Trias' trip to China, in which apart from meeting Han Zheng (韩正) he has also visited the facilities of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. -COMAC- (中国商用飞机有限责任公司).
Xavier Trias and Jordi Cornet have also met some 30 representatives of Chinese top companies and they have encouraged them to invest in Barcelona, which has been described as "the first export area of Spain and that has a prominent economy in many sectors, such as tourism". Jordi Cornet has also referred to the expected increase of traffic in the Barcelona Port once the the enlargment of the TerCat container terminal is finished, something expected to happen around September 2012. Terminal Catalunya S.A. (TerCat) is a shipping & logistics company managed by the Chinese holding Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) that in 2011 obtained a credit of 280 million € to finance the first phase of the enlargment of the Prat pier container terminal, within the Barcelona Port Authority. Xavier Trias has stated his will to turn Barcelona's Port as the gate through which goods coming from Shanghai would reach Europe.
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