Carlsberg to close some factories

A weaker-than-expected performance in China and Russia is forcing Carlsberg A/S, the world fourth-largest brewer, to axe 2,000 staff worldwide by 2018, around 15 percent of its workforce.

According to Chief Executive Officer Cees 't Hart, cost-saving measures will affect its Chinese operations, including the closure of some factories.

As part of its "business right-sizing" efforts, he said it will be restructuring what he called its brewery footprint in the country, and that it was evaluating all possible measures.