Source of picture: www.wrh.noaa.gov/hnx/newslet/sum…mber.htm By John Richardson Hope springs eternal when it comes to trying to fathom the direction of the polyolefin market in China. One particular hope rests on March import numbers from China Customs, due to be released later this month. The data might just give a pointer to the extent […]
Asian Chemical Connections
China: Playing the Devil’s Advocate
Jim Chanos gets it right more than 70% of the time (unlike Alan Greenspan) Source of picture: New York Post Somebody has to play the devil’s advocate, but having just finished reading Gillian Tett’s excellent Fool’s Gold about the financial crisis, this is about more than just trying to provoke a response; it’s […]
China Polypropylene Market Tightens
By John Richardson Polypropylene (PP) appears to have become very tight in China over the last week as a result of a reduction in import availability and a resurgence in buying activity. “PP is incredibly tight right now because the supply from North America is no longer available for delivery to China,” said a Singapore-based […]
Muddled Messages Over Yuan Revaluation
Source of picture: www.thewecc.com By John Richardson Confusing messages continue to emerge from Beijing over whether a revaluation of the Yuan is imminent, a debate that has major implications for the chemicals industry. The Financial Times reported this morning that senior government economist Ba Shusong had said that China could widen the currency’s […]
China Chemicals Review And Outlook
Source of picture: www.destination360.com Dear Reader Please click here – ChinaChems2009AndOutlook.doc for my review of what happened in China last year and Q1 2010 and for some pointers for the rest of this year. All the best John Richardson
Speed Of China’s Growth Triggers New Official Warning
By John Richardson The chairman of China Construction Bank has spoken about the dangers created by China’s GDP (gross domestic product) expanding by more than 9.5% in 2010, which, according to many analysts, seems highly likely: GDP is estimated to have risen by 11-12% in Q1. “It (too-rapid growth) will mean more duplication of construction, […]
China Polyolefins – A Bad Case Of Indigestion
By John Richardson IT IS always dangerous to assume that the future will be exactly the same as the past – a big lesson from the recent financial crisis. But so seems to have been the assumption amongst China’s polyolefin traders late last year as a close look at import statistics for December and January, […]
Europe Faces More Middle East Pressure
A high chance of more showers Source of picture: www.stuff.co.zn By John Richardson A closer look at last year’s polyolefin trade flows illustrates just how vulnerable European producers will be over the next few years to rising pressure from Middle East imports. “The volume of trade in Western Europe (intra-regional plus imports) for all […]
China Polyolefin Buyers Smell Blood……
…..but time to party for some thanks to re-exports to Brazil Source of picture: edgsgonesouth.com By John Richardson It’s a funny old world – or so it seems in poylolefins at the moment as traders re-export resin from China to Latin America and elsewhere. “I phoned up a trader in China the other day […]
US-China Yuan Row And The Threat To Chemicals
Source of picture: The China Daily By John Richardson THE outcome of the row between the US and China over the value of the Yuan has the potential to bring to an end a tentative and highly unbalanced global economic recovery, economists and chemicals industry sources have told the blog. If the US […]
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