German company sells heat pump business to US firm Carrier

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s Viessmann Group is selling its “climate solutions” business to Florida-based Carrier Global Corp. in a 12 billion-euro ($13.2 billion) deal. The two companies announced the sale late Tuesday. It includes Viessmann’s heat pump products and comes as Germany is putting into place plans to phase out gas and oil heating systems as a way to curb global warming. Germany’s vice chancellor says the the government will examine the deal. A senior opposition lawmaker said that the government’s policies were leading to “a sell-off of the German heat pump.” Viessmann says the two the two sides agreed to rule out layoffs for three years. Its climate division has about 11,000 employees.