Yanfeng Plastic Omnium Automotive Exterior Systems (YFPO) the joint venture founded in March 2007 between Plastic Omnium (PO, Levallois / France; www.plasticomnium.com) and Yanfeng Visteon in China, has been approved by the Chinese authorities. PO holds 49.95% of shares in YFPO. The company is due to start operations in the first half of 2007 and aims to achieve sales of EUR 50m in plastic exterior parts for VW and GM in 2007, rising to EUR 70m in 2008, the first complete financial year of the jv.

The French company, which began assessing the feasibility of producing in China only last year, is planning to generate a total sales turnover of EUR 200m in the country by 2012. PO subsidiary Inoplast (St. Desirat / France; www.inoplast.fr) formed the Xieno joint venture with its long-standing Chinese partner and truck supplier Xietong in April 2006 – see Plasteurope.com Web of 04.05.2006.

Two other PO joint ventures, Inergy Automotive Systems (Paris / France; www.inergyautomotive.com) and HBPO (Lippstadt / Germany; www.hbpogroup.com), have plants currently under construction in China in Wuhan (Hebei Province) and Fuzhou respectively, to begin supplying Nissan and DaimlerChrysler (HBPO) and GM (Inergy) in 2008.