MANUFACTURING

The commodity markets will sustain its growth in the medium to the long term in spite a projected slowdown in inventories of key buyers including China, Xstrata Plc's Chief Executive Officer Mick Davis in a mining conference on Wednesday.

A gradual implementation of the carbon tax is the favoured scheme of industry groups led by the Business Council of Australia.

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. has resumed the G650 flight-test program, following a temporary suspension of flying after an April 2 accident. The first flight since the accident took place May 28, with Serial Number 6001 flying for 1 hour and 39 minutes. The crew included senior experimental test pilots Jake Howard and Tom Horne and Flight Test Engineer Bill Osborne.

Glencore International Plc's debut in Hong Kong has been graded the world's biggest initial public offering this year that could lure other investors from its competitors with its size and market value, analysts said.

Honda Motor Co. has announced it would recall more than 1,000 new Honda Civics in the U.S. because of defects found in the fuel line. The defect could cause fuel leak, the company said in a statement.

Stocks in Australia and Tokyo close higher Wednesday, reflecting the generally brighter sentiments around Asian markets.

The Australian dollar jumped and recovered its four-day loss as an impact of the Reserve Bank's hint that benchmark rates may soon rise up at some point.

Australia's Reserve Bank has hinted that higher interest rates maybe inevitable to contain the jump in consumer prices, authorities said.

Industry leader BlueScope Steel Ltd. says it expects to report a net loss for the financial year ending June 30.

Canada-based gold explorer Golden Peaks Resources Ltd. has added a new project in its “strategic shift in focus to Indonesia” with the completion of its acquisition of Reliance Resources Ltd., the company said on Monday.

Diversified Philippine industrial conglomerate San Miguel Corp. has completed its record-setting shares and bond global sale deal worth $970 million with the resumption of trading on the company’s stock on the Philippine Stock Exchange

A $1.6-billion aluminium smelting plant that will be put up in Malaysia’s Sarawak state by a partnership of two major Chinese and Malaysian groups will have a capacity of 370,000 tonnes a year.

South Australia's manufacturing industry has recorded negative growth in annual average employment between 2000-01 and 2009-10, according to official national figures.

Chinese heavy equipment maker Sany Group has disclosed plans to invest some $200 million in a plant in Indonesia as part of a company move to penetrate the Southeast Asian market and possibly Australia and Japan.

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Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard is walking on tight rope as she pursue both trade and diplomacy issues in China as she meets her counterparts Prime Minister Wen Jiabiao and President Hu Jintao today.

Singapore commodities giant Olam International Limited has announced that it has notified NZ Farming Systems Uruguay Limited (NZFSU) of its intention to increase its equity in the company with the offer of NZ$0.70 per share for all of the shares in NZFSU totalling 22 percent.

Australia's proposed $230-million rare earths production facility in the Pahang state in Malaysia needs further environmental assessment, the Malaysian government said.

Holcim Philippines mulling over new cement plant

Indonesian car makers posted total sales of 225,413 units in the first quarter of the year, with Astra Motors cornering more than half of the total

The world’s biggest carmaker has announced it will have a drastic cut in production at its factories in Japan and overseas as it continues to face a shortfall in supply of parts after a massive earthquake and tsunami hit Japan.

Staying focused on your daily work to meet deadlines is no mean feat for business owner Ms Kellie Hill, owner and principal consultant at Australia's KHC.

Philippine conglomerate San Miguel Corp. has raised $900 million in new capital from a public offering of common shares and convertible bonds to foreign investors

Australia is on track of an unprecedented mining boom, the country's Treasurer Wayne Swan in the Mining Weekly publications.

Australia's natural gas assets are being targeted by China's national oil companies this year, according to energy consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie.

Indonesian automotive components maker PT Astra Otoparts Tbk and NYSE-listed Visteon Corp. have announced the establishment of a new joint venture that will produce car parts for both the Indonesian and global markets.

Renewable energy company CBD Energy Ltd's (ASX: CBD) first joint venture project with its new Chinese partners will finalise its very first 100 megawatt wind farm in Australia this week.

BHP Billiton is seeking government approval for a planned expansion of its Port Hedland operations in the Pilbara Region that would would double its current iron ore output in the medium term.

Launching its first production plant, printed wiring board maker Ibiden announces a second factory that will make high-end PWBs for smartphones