Business round-up: 13 March 2007

Bombardier

The Canadian aircraft maker has cut its exposure to the risk of rising raw material prices by securing a greater supply of aluminium plate and sheet products used in the manufacture of components until 2012. The company has extended an existing contract with metal producer Kaiser Aluminium. Kaiser has invested $105 million in expanding its facilities, allowing the company to be able to meet the requirements of the extended contract.

Midi-Pyrenees and Aquitaine

The French regions forming the Aerospace Valley centre of excellence have hit out at plans to give the same status to other locations. They say while they are ready to co-operate with other regions, officially recognising them as centres of excellence would be "counter-productive". Meanwhile, Martin Malvy, president of the Midi-Pyrénées region, has reacted angrily to French government opposition to his plan for the region to take an EADS stake.

"We don't feel an over-arching need to buy anything in the UK or Europe, or anywhere."

Boeing chief financial officer James Bell, responding to suggestions that the company is looking at UK acquisitions, during an investors conference in Chicago