China's top distiller plans major production expansion

GUIZHOU - China's top alcohol brand Kweichow Moutai announced Wednesday evening that it will embark on a major production expansion in 2018.

The Shanghai-listed distiller said that it will build new production facilities in Maotai Township to add 5,152 tons of liquor output annually.

The company said that the construction, with a total investment of 3.56 billion yuan ($538 million), will be completed in May 2020.

It also plans to build warehouses with a capacity of 26,000 tons, and add facilities to make 7,168 tons of distiller's yeast.

Distilled in the town of Maotai in Southwest China's Guizhou province, Moutai is considered the country's national liquor.

The company said that by 2020, its gross liquor output would reach 120,000 tons a year, of which 50,000 tons are Moutai brand liquor. By then, its annual revenue would register 100 billion yuan.