Fletcher Building is establishing a new laminates plant in Jiujiang, China, for its Formica business. The factory will be one of the largest plants in the Formica group, double the company’s capacity in China and provide a platform for growth. Formica president and chief executive Mark Adamson said the Chinese market was already twice the size of the United States and continued to grow by 15 per cent a year. The plant should be completed in 2013 and will make high-pressure laminate to support the demand in China and Asia generally. Michael Hobbs

Copper hopeful Cudeco said its shares would continue a trading suspension that started on August 23 while it negotiated with current investor Oceanwide and another foreign group about a capital raising amid continued uncertainty in global financial markets. Cudeco said it intended to provide an update on the status of the ongoing discussions and a timetable for the recommencement of trading by October 10.Jamie Freed