Content about Asia

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Workers for Iran's airline and embassy in Japan will have to go somewhere else for their big packages of paper towels.

Costco Wholesale Corp. said it found and canceled four employees of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Japan and two employees of Iran Air in the United Kingdom who had business memberships with the club retailer. The embassy employees spent about $5,497 at the store, while the Iran Air members didn't spend any money, for a total profit of less than $168.

NEW YORK — Costco Wholesale appears to be eyeing China's online commerce market, according to published reports.

The Southern Metropolis Daily, a newspaper based in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, reported Thursday that the Issaquah, Wash.-based club retailer was interested in entering the country's e-commerce market and was in the process of looking for local partners.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Mars Petcare will use responsible sourcing of fish for its fish-based Sheba product lines, the company said Monday.

The company said it plans to use only sustainably sourced fish by 2020, offering only fish that are farmed or wild-caught from environmentally sustainable sources. The new sourcing program is based on the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program sourcing recommendations.

LOS ANGELES — A brand of pistachios will carry the American Heart Association's Heart-Check mark, the company that markets it said.

Paramount Farms said Monday that its Wonderful Pistachios Lightly Salted and No Salt packages would carry the AHA's mark, indicating that it's a heart-healthy product. The AHA created the mark in 1995.

HONG KONG — Hong Kong-based Li & Fung — a multinational consumer goods sourcing, distribution and logistics group — has acquired Lornamead for about $190 million.

VICTORIA, Australia — Sales of Swisse Ultivite multivitamins in the Australian and Asian markets have been a big driver behind overall sales, according to a Nielsen report cited by the company. 

Across both Australia and Asia, VMS sales were up 16% to $197 million for the year ended June 2012. Leading the charge was Suisse Ultivite, which grew by more than 40% "thanks to a high ad spend and launches that boost the profile of the whole range,” Nielsen said. 

Much has been written already about Walgreens’ epic, two-step acquisition of Alliance Boots that in the end could be valued at $16 billion. As the largest single purchaser of prescription drugs in the world, with a global pharmaceutical wholesale operation to match, in-house manufacturing capabilities in over-the-counter health and wellness and generic drugs, Walgreens-Alliance Boots will have a whole lot more influence on the pharmacy side of its business.


LONDON — PZ Cussons, a consumer products group in Europe, Asia and Africa, is expanding its beauty division with the acquisition of the Fudge hair care brand from Australia-based Sabre Group.

The brand and associated inventory are being acquired by PZ Cussons for 25.5 million pounds ($39.5 million). The transaction is expected to close by the end of January, following the satisfaction of certain regulatory obligations.

BOSTON — This year’s jump in measles in the United States and Canada was costly and occurred among unvaccinated children and adults, suggested several studies being presented at the 49th Annual Meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America here Thursday.

CINCINNATI — Procter & Gamble announced on Friday double-digit growth in fourth-quarter net sales and earnings.

Net sales for the quarter rose 10% to $20.9 billion. Organic sales, which exclude the impact of acquisitions, divestitures and foreign exchange, grew 5% for the quarter.

Net earnings totaled $2.5 billion, or 84 cents per diluted share, compared with $2.2 billion, or 71 cents per diluted share, in the year-ago period.

GURGAON, India — Ranbaxy will produce and market three HIV/AIDS drugs that currently are in late-stage clinical development by Gilead under a new licensing agreement between the drug makers.

NEW YORK — The Kardashian matriarch Kris Jenner has signed on to be part of Poise’s “Great Women in History” series, launched last year, to highlight the fact that many great women throughout history have had to contend with light bladder leakage, Poise manufacturer Kimberly-Clark announced Thursday.