MORE than a dozen listed companies in China said they had suspended production in coronavirus-hit parts of China’s eastern Zhejiang Province in response to local government’s tightened COVID-19 curbs, causing their share prices to plunge. Zhejiang reported a total of 173 locally transmitted cases with confirmed symptoms during the Dec. 6-12 period, official numbers showed yesterday, marking the province’s first domestic cluster outbreak this year. In October, the province reported just one local case. A slew of firms, including Ningbo Homelink Eco-Itech Co., Zhejiang Zhongxin Fluoride Materials Co., Zhejiang Jingsheng Mechanical & Electrical Co. and Zhejiang Fenglong Electric Co., announced the production suspension through exchange filings over the weekend. Their shares fell sharply in early trading yesterday. Zhejiang Chunhui Intelligent Control Co. and Zhejiang Yankon Group Co. suffered the biggest losses, with their shares falling more than 7 percent each in morning trading. China reported 80 new locally-transmitted cases with symptoms on the mainland for Dec. 12, including 74 identified in Zhejiang. Ningbo Homelink, which makes plastic products, said in an exchange filing late Sunday that it had halted production in its home city Ningbo at the request of local authorities, and is taking measures to minimize the negative impact on its business. Zhejiang Jindun Fans Co., a Shenzhen-listed maker of ventilation system equipment, said Sunday that production at its subsidiary in Zhejiang’s Shaoxing City had been suspended due to local government’s anti-virus measures. The company said there would be some delay in product deliveries and a hit to business this month, but that the fallout on this year’s annual results would be limited. All the companies that announced production halt vowed to fully cooperate with the local government, which will decide when production can be resumed. (SD-Agencies) | 