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voda 13 februari 2018 17:11

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China plans high quality coal supply to boost capacity

Reuters reported that China plans to increase high quality coal supply by allowing mines to boost capacity if they shut outdated production processes, the latest effort by authorities to further streamline the industry and stabilise coal prices.

Coal companies will be encouraged to close inefficient and polluting mines and replace them with larger ones if they meet certain standards, the National Development and Reform Commission said in a statement.

Companies that agree to sign long-term contracts with power plants or to set up joint ventures with power companies will be allowed to expand their capacity by 130% to 300%.

The NDRC would give those allowed to boost capacity less than a year to shut outdated production, the statement said.

The incentives are the latest of several measures taken by China to foster closer ties among coal mines, coal-related businesses and power utilities as it looks to stabilise coal prices. Last year, China's top coal miner Shenhua Group took over China Guodian Group and created the world's largest power utility.

In late January, four of the country's major utilities warned of tight coal supplies after thermal coal prices on the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange hit a record of 679.8 yuan (USD 107.53) a tonne. Spot coal prices at ports have been above 750 yuan a tonne in recent weeks.

To halt the price surge and ensure coal supplies to utilities amid frigid weather, the NDRC earlier this week ordered the major coal port of Qinhuangdao, in China's northeastern Liaoning province, to cap free-on-board thermal coal prices at 750 yuan a tonne from February 5.

The power industry had borne the brunt of the price spike, coming under severe pressure from late November when coal climbed above 640 yuan a tonne, the approximate level at which utilities can break even.

With electricity prices fixed in China, utilities are unable to pass on their high feedstock costs to customers.

NDRC statement said that among other incentives, companies with mines in nature reserves or regions with a high risk of natural disasters will be allowed to double capacity if they re locate.

China aims to eliminate all coal mines with a capacity of less than 90 000 t this year. Industry experts say more than 1 000 mines with a combined capacity of around 150-million tonnes of coal capacity are expected to shut in 2018.

Source : Reuters

voda 13 februari 2018 17:12

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China keen to work with Indonesia on BRI - Mr Li

The Straits Times cited Chinese Premier Mr Li Keqiang as saying that his country wants to work closely with Indonesia to better link its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to the South-east Asian nation's development strategy. At his meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi in Beijing yesterday, Mr Li also said China wants to work with Indonesia and other Asean members to take its relationship with the grouping to a new level and contribute to the peace, stability, development and prosperity of the region.

Ms Retno, for her part, said China remained an important partner of Indonesia and that economic cooperation was beneficial to both sides.

Mr Li was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying: "The economies of the two countries are highly complementary and the potential for economic and trade cooperation is huge."

He said that China attaches great importance to developing ties with Indonesia. It would like to "work closely with Indonesia on high-level exchanges, make the Belt and Road Initiative link better with Indonesia's development strategy, promote more cooperation in key areas such as infrastructure and inject new force into the development of China's relations with Indonesia", he said.

Indonesia has an ambitious infrastructure building plan, and President Joko Widodo in May last year attended an international forum in Beijing to promote the Belt and Road Initiative, a huge plan to build transport and other infrastructure in countries and regions along land and sea routes from China to Europe.

China's investments and aid to Indonesia have increased significantly, particularly in infrastructure projects ranging from bridges and roads to power plants and high-speed rail.

Ms Retno told Mr Li that Indonesia was ready, among other things, to promote the construction of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail, a project that Jakarta awarded to the Chinese in 2015 but which has met with some problems.

The Indonesian top diplomat also met her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and co-hosted with him the third meeting of the joint committee for bilateral cooperation that was established between the two governments.

The two countries have strong economic ties, with China being Indonesia's largest trading partner. Two-way trade in 2016 exceeded USD 52 billion and hit USD 63.4 billion last year, an increase of 17 per cent.

However, Indonesia has a deficit with China and Ms Retno told the media yesterday that Indonesia wants balanced trade with China.

Indonesia's central bank, Bank Indonesia, last month opened a representative office in Beijing, becoming the ninth foreign central bank to start an office in China.

Bank Indonesia governor Agus Martowardojo said this was "to further optimise the economic and financial relations between the two countries and improve understanding of economic and financial developments and policies in China and the implications for Indonesia".

Source : The Straits Times

voda 13 februari 2018 20:34

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China wealth fund said to join fray for USD 2 billion Rio coal portfolio

Mining Weekly quoted people familiar with the matter as saying that Chinese sovereign wealth fund is considering joining the bidding for Rio Tinto Group’s last remaining coal mines, which may fetch more than USD 2 billion.

China Investment Corp is discussing making a joint offer with Australian private equity firm EMR Capital Advisors, which was among shortlisted bidders for the Hail Creek and Kestrel mines, according to the people. Suitors are scheduled to make site visits to the operations in Australia’s Queensland state this month ahead of the final bid deadline in March, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private.

The EMR consortium would compete with Whitehaven Coal and the Australian unit of China’s Yanzhou Coal Mining, which are separately weighing binding offers for the Rio assets, the people said. South32 and an investor group led by Apollo Global Management were also preparing to enter the second round of the sale process, people familiar with the matter said in December.

EMR has said that deals for assets valued at more than USD 1-billion would likely be co-investments. The natural resources fund has attracted interest from Chinese State-owned and private entities on potential partnerships, CEO Jason Chang said in a December 2016 interview. CIC, which managed about USD 814-billion at the end of 2016, has been boosting its holdings in alternative assets to diversify away from listed companies and increase returns.

BOWEN BASIN
Xcoal Energy & Resources and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board are part of the Apollo-led consortium pursuing the Rio coal mines, the people said in December. Glencore was also among suitors set to proceed to the second round of bidding for the assets, the people said at the time.
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Apollo and CIC didn’t immediately reply to emails seeking comment. Spokesmen for EMR, Glencore, Rio, Whitehaven and Yanzhou Coal’s local unit, Yancoal Australia, declined to comment. A representative for South32 declined to comment beyond a statement from December, when the company said it continues to focus on identifying new opportunities outside its portfolio.

A sale would allow Rio, the world’s second-biggest miner, to complete its exit from coal and continue an asset divestment program that has returned more than USD 7-billion since 2013. Last year it agreed to sell USD 2.69-billion of Australian mines to a company controlled by Yanzhou Coal, and CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques said in September that a rebound in metals and energy prices has opened a window for additional sales.

Rio Tinto controls 82% of Hail Creek in the Bowen Basin region of Queensland state, which produced more than nine-million metric tons of coal in 2017, according to filings. It owns 80% of Kestrel, which produced about five-million tons of coking and thermal coal in 2017. The sale also includes the Valeria and Winchester South coal projects in Queensland state, a person familiar with the matter said in October.

Source : Mining Weekly

voda 13 februari 2018 20:40

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China's Jan coal imports hit highest in 4 years on blizzards, cold

Economic Times reported that China's coal imports hit their highest in four years in January, customs data showed on Thursday, driven up as snowstorms across the country boosted demand from utilities and snarled domestic transport networks.

The world's No.2 economy brought in 27.81 million tonnes of coal last month, up 11.5 % from 24.91 million the year before, the General Administration of Customs said. That compared with 22.74 million tonnes in December.

The cold snap pushed daily coal consumption at utilities to a record seasonal-high of 850,0000 tonnes as of Feb. 2, while inventories at power plants fell to a critical level of less than 15 days of consumption, data from consultants Wind showed.

In late January, four of China's top utilities warned of heating and electricity shortages due to tight supplies of coal.

Thermal coal prices on the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange touched a record-high of 679.8 yuan (USD 107.96) a tonne on Jan.29.

Mr Cheng Gong, analyst at China National Coal Association said that "Foreign coal prices are more competitive as coal prices in China rallied on capacity reduction."

Beijing has vowed to phase out all small coal mines with capacity below 90,000 tonnes across the country, but some regions have raised the threshold to below 150,000 tonnes to further streamline the industry.

Shanxi, the country's coal mining hub, has ordered big coal mines to shorten or cancel staff holidays during Lunar New Year.

Meanwhile, some coal imports have been stranded due to insufficient rail freight capacity in the wake of the snowy conditions.

Mr Cheng said that "Coal imports will remain at a high level in February and March due to robust demand at utilities for heating. Arrivals are likely to fall after March when the weather gets warm."

The heating season typically ends in mid-March in northern China.

Seaborne coal shipments from Indonesia rose to 11.06 million tonnes last month, the highest since November, 2016, while coal arrivals from Australia climbed to their highest in months, according to data compiled by Thomson Reuters Supply Chain and Commodity Forecasts.

Shipments in February have already touched 11.7 million tonnes, the Supply Chain data showed.

Source : Economic Times

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voda 14 februari 2018 14:43

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China to counter US steel trade measures - Think Tank

Global Times reported that China will oppose any unfair and unreasonable trade measures by countries such as the US against its steel companies, arguing protectionism will poison the industry. The Chinese Commerce Ministry on Tuesday voiced concerns over the US potentially severe protectionist measures against Chinese steel products, urging the US to show restraint with any trade restriction measures.

China Metallurgical Industry Planning and Research Institute said in an email to Reuters “Certainly we will protest against unfair and unreasonable measures launched by some countries such as the US toward Chinese steel companies. We will also study and discuss the counter-measures to try to seek a fair position for Chinese companies without any violation of WTO agreements."

The institute, which provides consultancy services to Chinese government policymakers and steel enterprises, was responding to recent efforts by US steel firms urging President Donald Trump to curb surging imports they say are undermining the US industry.

Trump is considering action on both steel and aluminum under the rarely used "Section 232" of a 1962 US trade law, which allows for restrictions to protect national security.

Source : Global Times

voda 15 februari 2018 20:21

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China war on pollution - 27 coal mines were shut down

Economic Times reported that China, in recent times, has faced scepticism over its pledges to wage a "war on pollution" and end the unrestrained burning of coal in the country. In the northern Chinese province of Shanxi, the country's largest coal producing region, 27 coal mines were shut down last year. The province banned the sale, transport and use of most coal in October 2017. Xinhua had reported that the ban was expected to cut coal use by more than two million tonnes, or 90 % of the city's total consumption.

The central government had also set specific targets and backed up its decrees with threats of fines and other punishments.

However, the demand for coal in the country rose in the last year after undergoing a decline in the previous three years.

As many coal stoves were removed before new furnaces were installed, it left tens of thousands of people shivering without heat this winter.

Also, with a couple of districts switching to natural gas at once, the demand for the new source of fuel overwhelmed supplies. This sent prices soaring and created shortages.

The city of Taiyuan, however, made an attempt to replace coal-burning household heating equipment with electric and natural gas heaters, Xinhua had reported.

Amidst all of this, the benefits of the government's campaign are nonetheless being felt.

Mr Steven Lee Myers, a veteran diplomatic and national security correspondent, for The New York Times, in an op-ed titled - 'In China's Coal Country, a Ban Brings Blue Skies and Cold Homes', drew attention to the fact that the coal-stove graveyard in Qiaoli was a manifestation of China's determined effort this winter to all but end its dependence on coal for heating homes and businesses, in hopes of clearing up the country's throat-scraping pollution.

In the long run, the impact could be felt globally too, backed up by President Xi Jinping's pledge to put China in the "driving seat in international cooperation to respond to climate change" by reducing emissions.

Source : Economic Times

voda 15 februari 2018 20:24

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China tops world in smart city construction - Report

Thu, 15 Feb 2018

Multinational professional services provider Deloitte in a report issued that China tops the world in smart city construction. China is currently building 500 smart cities, half of the world's total amount.

Clare Ma, Public Sector Leader of Deloitte China, said that "China has become one of the most active countries in smart city-building, and smart city construction has been made into a national strategy."

Evaluating 25 key cities in China, Deloitte concluded that most of them are developing well, but there's still room for improvement. Apart from the well-built infrastructure, the country still has to enhance innovation and strategic planning.

Source : ecns.cn

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voda 18 februari 2018 17:45

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China dreigt VS na mogelijke heffing op staal
1 uur geleden in FINANCIEEL

AMSTERDAM - China dreigt terug te slaan in de strijd met de VS om heffingen op de import van staal. Dat zou een nieuwe stap zijn in de verstoorde handelsrelatie tussen de twee grootmachten.

Dat meldt zakenkrant Financial Times. De Amerikaanse minister van handel Wilbur Ross raadde vrijdag een mogelijk wereldwijde importheffing op staal aan van minstens 24%. Op de invoer van aluminium zou een tarief van 7,7% gaan gelden. Volgens Ross is de sterk gestegen import van beide materialen de laatste jaar een ‘bedreiging voor de nationale veiligheid’.

Een hoge functionaris op het Chinese ministerie van handel noemde het instellen van tarieven op deze grond roekeloos. “Het spectrum van nationale veiligheid is heel breed en zonder duidelijke definitie kan dit argument gemakkelijk misbruikt worden”, zei deze Wang Hejun.

“Als het uiteindelijke besluit van de VS de belangen van China schaadt, zullen we zeker de noodzakelijke maatregelen nemen om onze rechten te verdedigen”, zei de Chinese ambtenaar.

Volgens analisten is Peking bang om het handelsconflict te laten escaleren, omdat het land de eigen exportpositie niet wil beschadigen. Daarom richt China zich op specifieke sectoren, zoals sojabonen. China is bestemming nummer 1 voor de uitvoer van Amerikaanse soja.

“Ik denk dat China het voorlopig houdt bij hardere retoriek” zegt een Chinese analist tegen Financial Times. “Terugslaan door de agrarische sector te raken ligt voor China meer voor de hand aangezien het land een lage voedselinflatie kent.”

Hardliners binnen de regering Trump willen graag actie ondernemen tegen China. Een van de opties is een gerichte heffing op staal en aluminium import uit China, maar ook Brazilië en Vietnam. Maar als Trump te hard uithaalt, kan hij andere handelspartners van de VS ook raken, en lokt hij een tegenreactie van andere landen uit.

www.telegraaf.nl/financieel/1687742/c...

voda 19 februari 2018 19:10

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US report on steel, aluminum imports groundless - Mr Wang

Xinhua reported that China's Ministry of Commerce criticized a US government report on steel and aluminum product imports, saying the findings were "groundless" and do not tally with the facts. In a response to the report, Mr Wang Hejun, head of the MOC's trade remedy and investigation bureau, said as most of the US steel and aluminum imports are mid and low end, countries including Canada and China have proven to the United States during the investigation that such imports incur no harm to national security.

Mr Wang stressed that the United States has already overprotected domestic industries in the two sectors, and it should not "rashly" take more restrictions on such imports.

Against the background of the still unstable global recovery, Mr Wang urged the United States to exercise restraint in using trade protection tools, and observe multilateral rules to make positive contributions to global economic and trade order.

He said that "If the United States' final decision affects China's interests, we will take necessary measures to defend our rights.”

Source : Xinhua

voda 19 februari 2018 21:00

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China hits new record with January oil imports by 19pct YoY - GAC
Published on Mon, 19 Feb 2018

China established itself as the world’s largest importer of crude in January with shipments increasing by 19.4% YoY to a record high of 40.64 million tonnes (9.61 million bpd), according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC). Last month’s figure exceeded the March 2017 record high of 9.21 million bpd. China’s crude imports during the whole of 2017 displaced the US as the world’s largest importer, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) confirmed last week.

According to EIA data, China imported an average of 8.4 million bpd compared with US imports of 7.9 million bpd. GAC data put Chinese imports for the year at 8.49 million bpd.

The administration noted that in terms of total petroleum and liquid fuel imports, China became the world’s largest net importer in 2013.
The EIA attributed China’s growing imports to new refinery capacity, strategic inventory stockpiling and declining domestic oil production, which in 2017 declined by 4% to 191.51 million tonnes (3.85 million bpd).

Reports from China say authorities have boosted the crude oil import allocations for independent refiners and that state-owned refiners have maintained high throughput levels.

Asian forecasters expect China’s importers to average about 8.8 million bpd in February.

Market share
OPEC continued to be the main supplier of crude oil to China, accounting for 56% of imports, down from 67% in 2012, the EIA reported. That shift in market percentage during that time went to Russia and Brazil, with Russia’s share of China’s imports expanding from 9% to 14% and Brazil’s rising from 2% to 5%.

Russia has been China’s top crude oil supplier for the last two years, forcing OPEC leader Saudi Arabia out of the top spot. China imported 59.7 million tonnes (1.2 million bpd) of Russian oil in 2017 and that figure is expected to stay roughly the same in 2018. Russian exports will increase significantly with the opening in January of a second 15 million tpy (300,000 bpd) capacity pipeline that is part of the East Siberia-Pacific Ocean (ESPO) network.

State-run China New said imports of ESPO crude had risen to 2.41 million tonnes (568,000 bpd) in January, an increase of 66% year on year. The pipeline extends from the border town of Mohe to the northeastern city of Daqing. China plans to import Russian crude through the ESPO route at a rate of 600,000 bpd in 2018. In 2017, crude shipments exceeded the pipeline’s 300,000 bpd capacity, averaging 330,000 bpd.

Russia’s success at exporting crude to China has, however, left some European buyers of Russian crude disappointed with the quality they are now receiving, according to Reuters.

Quality control
The agency reported because of Russia’s quest to acquire market share in China in competition to the US and OPEC, the quality of Russia’s Urals crude had deteriorated and European customers were reviewing their purchases and the price they are willing to pay. It said that some buyers were looking to renegotiate prices, while others were complaining that they were unable to refine current deliveries of Urals.

Urals Blend is mixed within Russia’s pipeline system and the quality depends on the combination of higher quality and lower quality darker oils. Reuters said data on Urals composition in recent shipments showed the standard was at the bottom end of the quality range. It also reported that the price of ESPO Blend was about US$3 per barrel higher than what Russia was earning from Urals in 2017.

Meanwhile, US exports to China are rising and averaged about 400,000 bpd in January. China is reported to be attracted to US crude by its price and the US is keen to sell oil to China in an effort to rebalance trade figures.

In a further development, China will launch its first crude oil future contract on the Shanghai International Energy Exchange on March 26. China has been planning the move for several years, but has been cautious about putting all the rules and regulations in place. The State Council recently approved the contract’s launch.

The contract will be a medium sour crude with an API gravity of 32 degrees and a 1.5% sulphur content, Platts reported. There will be seven deliverable grades included in the crude futures contract: Upper Zakum, Qatar Marine, Masila, Dubai, Oman, Basrah Light and Shengli.

Source : Strategic Research Institute

voda 20 februari 2018 21:31

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Chinese province uses record coalbed methane in 2017

Xinhua Net reported that coal-rich province of Shanxi used a record amount of coalbed methane last year as it eyes methane as a source of clean energy. Local mining firms extracted 11.5 billion cubic meters of methane gas and utilized 7 billion cubic meters, both new record levels, according to the Shanxi provincial department of land and resources.

It said that the amount used was more than double the 3.4 billion cubic meters in 2012. The department said that the province is rich in coalbed methane, a clean energy source similar to natural gas. Shanxi has an estimated 8.3 trillion cubic meters of coalbed methane within 2,000 meters below ground, accounting for 27.7 % of the country's total.

Shanxi had proven reserves of 578.4 billion cubic meters at the end of 2015, accounting for 88 % of the country's total.

Mr Zhou Jianchun, head of the department, said that Shanxi has rolled out government plans and policies to speed up exploration and development of methane gas.

Mr Zhou said that Shanxi plans to increase its proven reserves of coalbed methane to 1 trillion cubic meters by 2020, when the annual output is expected to hit 20 billion cubic meters.

Coalbed methane is a byproduct of coal and a major killer in coal mine accidents. Utilization can help reduce risks in mining, cut greenhouse gas emissions and ease gas shortages.

Source : Xinhua Net

voda 20 februari 2018 22:11

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The world races towards an electric future, China takes the lead in producing batteries

swarajyamag.com reported that if there’s one future prediction that won’t readily split opinions, it would probably be the demise of fossil fuels as the biggest source of energy for mankind in the near future. China seems to have understood that - and moved to secure its place in the new battery powered world. Improvement in battery technology is fundamentally changing the world, with more and more countries trying to move away from fossil fuels and relying on alternate energy sources that rely on such batteries for uninterrupted power. Cars are going electric too, completely relying on the newer, better batteries to power them. And in its resolve to stay at the forefront of this emerging tech, China is already the biggest market for electric cars in the world.

China already leads the world in rechargeable Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery production, hosting more than 50 per cent of the world’s capacity, the Wall Street Journal has reported.

However, raw Cobalt, essential for the production of the batteries is sourced from Congo, which produces 54 per cent of the world’s cobalt. And this is where China holds a staggering lead over all the other countries. China imported $1.2 billion worth of cobalt from Congo till September 2017, pushing India at $3.2 million to a distant second.

As the world slowly wakes to the promise of Li-ion batteries, China has already locked up the supply lines originating from Congo. The cobalt is sourced through locals who sell it to wholesale shops controlled by Chinese traders and shipped off to China to be mass produced into processed batteries. Chinese industry is now trying to control the whole ecosystem.

Source : swarajyamag.com

voda 20 februari 2018 22:14

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China shipping goes green - Report

Australia China Business Review reported that with China framing public health as a basic human right, the country’s Marine Safety Administration is doing its part to curb the detrimental health effects of the shipping industry. In a recent white paper, the Chinese government emphasised its commitment to protecting the health and well-being of the Chinese people.

The white paper said that “Prosperity for all is impossible without health for all. Health for all is a solemn promise to the people by the CPC (Communist Party of China) and the Chinese government.”

While the report focuses on improvements to medical and health services since the party’s 18th National Congress in November 2012, the sentiment of change and progress centred on well-being is evident in areas outside the direct remit of medicine and health.

With a 2016 study finding that ship emissions cause more than 24,000 premature deaths in East Asia – 18,000 of which were in China alone – the MSA has focused its efforts on ensuring ships comply with pollution prevention measures.

The MSA aims to ensure the Chinese fleet complies with international conventions such as the International Maritime Organisation’s sulphur emissions regulation.

The regulation stipulates ships must reduce sulphur emissions from 3.5 per cent to 0.5 per cent by 2020, a contentious move that was nonetheless upheld by the IMO in 2016.

According to the IMO’s head of air pollution and energy efficiency, vessels found to be non-compliant by 2020 could be detained or even rendered “unseaworthy”, thus potentially affecting indemnity in the event of an insurance claim.

The message is clear, while the cost of emission reduction compliance on ships will be high, the cost of non-compliance will, quite literally, be paralysing.

In an effort to reduce the impact of ship pollutants, and to encourage IMO and domestic regulation compliance within its waters, China expanded its Domestic Emissions Control Areas earlier this year to include all ports within the Bohai-rim Waters, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Pearl River Delta.

This means all ships at berth must use low-sulphur fuels, or be fitted with equipment to reduce noxious emissions, while in the control areas.

The Chinese government, the marine authorities and local port cities use a combination of carrot and stick measures to encourage change.

Disincentives such as fines and the detention of ships face those deemed to be non-compliant through onboard ship and bunker note inspections or random fuel oil sampling.

Financial incentives in Shenzhen, in the south of the country, encourage at-berth fuel switching, promote the use of onshore power supply and back the use of liquefied natural gas.

China’s aim to reduce ship emissions is encouraging; it is poised to be a leader in green shipping in the region, if not the world.

Source : Australia China Business Review

voda 21 februari 2018 16:36

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Fugro aan de slag in China

Gepubliceerd op 21 feb 2018 om 11:50 | Views: 1.121

Fugro 16:15
12,28 -0,20 (-1,60%)

LEIDSCHENDAM (AFN) - Fugro heeft een opdracht gekregen van Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey (GMGS) voor bodemonderzoek in de Zuid-Chinese Zee. De contractwaarde bedraagt 40 miljoen dollar.

Fugro gaat onderzoek doen naar gashydraat dat een belangrijke energiebron kan worden in de toekomst. De werkzaamheden moeten beginnen in het tweede kwartaal. Fugro werkt al langer samen met GMGS op dit terrein.

voda 21 februari 2018 20:05

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China remain the biggest trade partner for all Australian states

Xinhua Net reported that China remains the largest trading partner for all six Australian states,. The "Australia's Trade by State and Territory 2016-17" report, released by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade found that Western Australia remained the biggest exporter among Australia's states and territories in the 2016-17 financial year.

WA, Australia's biggest state by land mass, accounted for 35.1 % of the country's total exports, followed by Queensland (22.4 %) and New South Wales (22.3 %).

The report also found that China became the Northern Territory's biggest trading partner in 2016-17, making it the largest trading partner for all Australia's states and territories except the Australian Capital Territory which does the most trade with Switzerland.

Mr Steven Ciobo, Australia's Trade Minister, said that the value of exports in all states and territories grew in 2016-17. He said that "Queensland saw a 30.4 % increase in exports in 2016-17, followed by Western Australia at 18.5 % and New South Wales at 13.1 %."

Mr Ciobo said that "Prices received for exports also increased for most states with Queensland seeing the largest increase (up 22.1 %)."

Australia's natural resources were the most sought-after goods internationally, the report said.

Iron ore and concentrates were WA's major exports totaling 62 billion Australian dollars (49.1 billion US dollars), while for Queensland and New South Wales it was coal with values of 23 billion and 11.8 billion US dollars respectively.

Victoria and South Australia were the only states where minerals weren't the biggest export items; education-related travel services topped Victoria's exports at 7.1 billion US dollars while for SA it was alcoholic beverages at 1.18 billion US dollars.

Source : Xinhua Net

voda 21 februari 2018 20:33

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Chinese robust appetite for raw materials to boost freight demand - Bimco

Platts reported that China's strong demand for iron ore, coal and crude is driving up the demand for ships and is serving as an engine of growth for the dry bulk shipping and the tankers' sector, Baltic and International Maritime Council said in a report.

Mr Peter Sand, Bimco's chief shipping analyst, said that "Not only is China repeatedly importing larger volumes, it is also sourcing most of its imported iron ore from seaborne exporters with more than 98% of the imports arriving via sea." Bimco is the world's largest international shipping association, with around 2,100 members in over 120 countries.

China continues to ramp up its imports of iron ore, with seaborne imports growing 4.7% on the year to a record 1.054 billion mt in 2017, Bimco said. Close to 62% of China's iron ore imports are from Australia and 21% from Brazil, which benefits the dry bulk shipping industry due to longer routes. Around 4% of the imports are from South Africa.

Bimco said that China's coal imports have also provided a strong support to the demand for dry bulk ships as shipments rose by 12% last year to 228.5 million mt via sea. Around 84% of the country's coal imports are now seaborne, up from 80% in 2016.

Mr Sand said that China is not only importing larger volumes but is also replacing coal purchases via land with seaborne tons. The rise of US coal exports to China is largely beneficial for the dry bulk shipping industry. The 3.1 million mt of US coal shipments to China in 2017 generated high ton-mile demand. "This is highly beneficial for the dry bulk shipping industry as it has a strong multiplier effect on demand, providing some of the longest possible distances."

Coal shipments from Norfolk in Virginia and Baltimore in Maryland to China involve voyages of up to 45 sailing days each.

The biggest exporters of coal to China are Indonesia, Australia and Mongolia, with an annual share of 40%, 30% and 13%, respectively.

Source : Platts

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Wilbar 21 februari 2018 20:42

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China wil ’begrafenisstrippers’ aan banden leggen

Strippers op een begrafenis. Het komt zo vaak voor in China dat de overheid een nieuwe campagne is begonnen om dit fenomeen uit te roeien. Vooral op het platteland zijn de pikante uitvaarten erg populair.
Eerder werd in 2006 en 2015 ook al geprobeerd om de ’begrafenisstrippers’ aan banden te leggen maar zonder al te veel succes. Inmiddels is er een speciale ’hotline’ in het leven geroepen in negentien Chinese regio’s zodat mensen deze pikante uitvaarten kunnen melden, meldt de Mirror.

’Meer aanzien’
Chinese families zetten strippers in bij uitvaarten om zo meer rouwenden te lokken. Dat is goed voor het aanzien van de familie. De Chinese overheid spreekt echter over illegale praktijken die de „sociale zeden” aantasten.
Eerdere campagnes leverden niets op. Nu richt de Chinese overheid zijn op negentien gebieden in vier provincies: Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu en Hebei.

Financiële beloning
Als mensen naar de hotline bellen en ’opvallende’ begrafenissen melden, krijgen ze een financiële beloning. Die beloning moet twijfelaars over de streep trekken.
In 2015 stelde de Chinese overheid een zwarte lijst op van mensen en organisaties die stripteases op begrafenissen verzorgen. Een dansgroep kreeg het toen zwaar te verduren na een heftige stripact op een begrafenis in een klein dorp in Hebei. Een iemand van de groep moest toen vijftien dagen de cel in en een boete van zo’n 9000 euro betalen.

www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/1703760/china...

Wilbar 21 februari 2018 20:44

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Zou je dit ook in dat crematorium van Harry Mens kunnen bestellen?

voda 22 februari 2018 20:03

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Chinese steel mills to ramp up output before curbs bite again

Reuters reported that China shut down up to half of its steel production this winter in 28 cities in the country’s manufacturing heartland in the north as part of an anti-pollution campaign. With margins still encouraging full output, China’s pent-up steel production should erupt when the curbs expire on March 15.

Because of the curbs, China’s average daily steel output in December was the lowest in a year at 2.16 million tonnes, government data showed last month. Average daily output may rise to about 2.5 million tonnes if the mills quickly boost production when the restrictions are lifted, Wang Yingsheng, vice secretary-general of the China Iron and Steel Association told an industry conference in late January.

With the government likely to re-impose the limits next winter, northern Chinese mills will have only about eight months to run at full speed, so plants are stocking up on raw materials to maximize production while the market conditions remain strong.

A senior manager at a steel mill in southern China said that “I think there could be restrictions again on mills in north China this year and they could increase output before the restrictions. If the market’s good, every mill will try to run at full capacity in order to make more profit.”

Thanks to China’s infrastructure push that sustained steel demand even as the environmental crackdown cut supplies, mills are set to report massive profit gains.

Xinjiang Ba Yi Iron & Steel in northwest China said 2017 net profit may have risen by 3,000 percent and Anyang Iron & Steel, based in Henan province, may show profit increased by up to 1,300 percent last year, according to preliminary estimates from both companies.

Last month, Jiujiang Steel in Jiangxi province rewarded workers with 278 million yuan (USD 44 million) in 2017 bonuses. The cash weighed 3.5 tonnes and was delivered by four vans to staff at its main office, according to a company official and photos on Jiujiang Steel’s WeChat account.

Profit margins have retreated from last year’s peaks, but are still more than enough to motivate maximum production, said the southern mill manager.

Chinese steel margins for rebar this year are averaging 866 yuan a tonne, according to data from brokerage CLSA. While down from last year’s average of 922 yuan, rebar margins are well above the five-year average of 251 yuan. Hot-rolled coil margins are averaging 865 yuan this year versus a five-year average of 259 yuan.

Source : Reuters

voda 22 februari 2018 20:09

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China drives US coal export revival - Russell

Reuters reported that if China does seek a way to retaliate against US proposals to impose import curbs on steel and aluminium, then targeting President Donald Trump’s favoured coal would be tempting.

One of Trump’s key campaign promises in the 2016 election victory was to end the war on what he termed “beautiful, clean” coal. Figures released last week by the US Energy Information Administration suggest he has met with some success.

The EIA said on Feb 16 that US coal output surged the most in 16 years to reach 773 million short tonnes, equivalent to about 701 million metric tonnes, in 2017. Coal miners produced about 40.8 million tonnes more in 2017 than in 2016,.

So far, so good for Trump. But the problem is that virtually all of the good news for US coal producers is on the export side and this is mainly a China phenomenon.

US exports are expected to have risen 58% in 2017 from the prior year to about 86.2 million tonnes, according to the EIA, with volumes to Asia nearly doubling to about 28.1 million tonnes.

These figures largely tally with ship-tracking and port data compiled by Thomson Reuters Supply Chain and Commodity Forecasts.

Seaborne US coal exports were about 79.4 million tonnes in 2017, up from 64.1 million in 2016, according to the vessel data.

China bought 5.95 million tonnes of US coal last year, more than double the 2.8 million of the prior year, while India remained the top Asian destination, with imports of 13 million tonnes, up from 8.7 million in 2016.

Japan remained slightly ahead of China with imports of 6.9 million tonnes of US coal in 2017, up from 5.2 million the prior year, according to the vessel-tracking numbers.

These figures don’t make it explicit that China is the main driver behind the burgeoning US coal exports, given that the world’s largest importer of the polluting fuel only bought 3.15 million tonnes more from the United States last year than in 2016.

However, the main dynamic driving coal markets is Chinese import demand, and the 6.1% gain in its imports in 2017 from the prior year has helped prices for both thermal and coking coal remain at robust levels.

For US coal exports to be competitive in Asia, and also in Europe, a thermal coal price of at least USD 70 a tonne is required, given the cost of mining, inland transportation and shipping in the United States.

Chinese import demand has ensured that thermal coal prices have remained in the sweet spot for US producers, allowing them to be competitive in Europe against exports from Colombia and South Africa, as well as in Asia.

The relatively high prices for coking coal, used in steel-making, has also helped US exporters of this higher-quality fuel, especially in India where they compete against supplies from top exporter Australia.

The outlook for US coal exports is largely price-dependent, and this in turn is largely a function of how much China imports.

If China comes close in 2018 to importing the 270 million tonnes it did in 2017, then prices are likely to hold up, providing US miners with the opportunity to maintain, or possibly even grow their exports.

Source : Reuters

Bijlage:

AEX 921,92 -3,99 -0,43% 28 feb


Germany40^	22.555,90	+0,02%
BEL 20	4.420,51	-0,60%
Europe50^	5.455,27	-0,15%
US30^	43.818,00	0,00%
Nasd100^	20.879,40	0,00%
US500^	5.952,17	0,00%
Japan225^	37.585,40	0,00%
Gold spot	2.857,60	0,00%
EUR/USD	1,0375	-0,20%
WTI	70,08	0,00%

Van Lanschot ...	+4,09%
ADYEN NV	+2,53%
HEIJMANS KON	+1,76%
ACOMO	+1,59%
DSM FIRMENICH AG	+1,48%

Kendrion	-5,98%
AMG Critical ...	-4,99%
AZERION	-4,20%
AALBERTS NV	-3,13%
ASML	-2,93%

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