Hitachi Home & Life Solutions Inc. said Wednesday it has agreed to purchase compact refrigerators and freezers from China's Henan Xinfei Electric Co. for sale in Japan under the Hitachi brand.
Hitachi H&L said it will launch domestic sales in April of refrigerators with a capacity of less than 200 liters made by the Chinese firm.
Hitachi H&L, a unit of Hitachi Ltd., said the deal follows a shift in production at its Thai refrigerator-manufacturing unit to bigger models.
Hitachi H&L said it will consider joint development of new models with the Chinese firm in order to expand its product line.
Based in Xinxiang, Henan Province, Henan Xinfei Electric makes electric appliances and had about 4,600 employees as of Dec. 31.