Wednesday, October 21, 2009
CHINA SOUTH AMERICA HAS MOVED
Adding insult to injury is this new limit on the number of tags / labels you can use when posting.
Please visit http://chinasouthamerica.com/home to access all the content you see here on ChinaSouthAmerica and for future updates.
Thank you,
Benito
Sunday, October 11, 2009
China and rare earth metals
The value of global rare-earth trade last year was just $1.25 billion, and it is projected to grow to about $3 billion by 2015—not much by most accords. However, the metals in question are absolutely essential for many high tech industries because of their phosphorescent and magnetic properties.
Rare earth metals include terbium, dysprosium, yttrium, thulium, lutetium, neodymium, europium, cerium, and lanthanum. These metals, as described by The Columbia Encyclopedia usually occur together in minerals as their oxides ( rare earths ) and are somewhat difficult to separate because of their chemical similarity.
The state-controlled Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Rare-Earth Hi-Tech Company dominates production of “rare earth metals” in China. Alistair Stephens of Arafura Resources in Australia, explains, “the Chinese realized the strategic importance of rare earths decades before the West.”
Producing the latest flat screen TV’s, smart phones, wine turbines, solar panels and even electric batteries which power America’s new Chevy Volt (battery powered car), are all simply not possible without these rare earth metals.
I am not one to doubt the incredible potential of the free market system, but in this particular situation, Deng Xiaoping was wise not to trust in the free market to dictate his “rare earth metals” policy in the 80’s.
As commodity prices fell in the mid 80’s, rare earth producers in the United States and Canada were priced out of the market. Deng Xiaoping, the man associated with introducing markets in China, instead encouraged the development of mines in the mid-1980s as prices fell dramatically.
Rare earth metals may not generate as much revenue as oil does for Saudi Arabia or Russia, but it is clear if China chokes off supply and begins consuming more of their rare earth metals domestically, the developed world will need to find new sources.
Additional articles on rare earth metals:
Will China Tighten 'Rare Earth' Grip? - The Wall Street Journal
Rare earths are vital; and China owns them all - Market Watch
Rare-earth metals: The new China syndrome - The Canadian Business Week
Saturday, October 10, 2009
China South America is moving ---

After over one year of ups and downs with Google's blogger, my loyalty to the tech giant is slowly fading as its service remains blocked in The People's Republic of China.
Adding insult to injury is this new limit on the number of tags / labels you can use when posting.
Please visit http://chinasouthamerica.com/home to access all the content you see here on ChinaSouthAmerica and for future updates.
Thank you,
Benito
Peruvian Micro-Entrepreneurs head to China
About sixteen Peruvian Micro-Entrepreneurs (if that’s the correct term to call them) from various sectors will travel to Guangzhou, China to participate in the 106th Guangzhou Import and Export fair. With a total of 209 countries in attendance, and thousands of exhibitors, this is a big deal for these small Peruvian businesses.
I question if these business are truly worthy of being called the products of micro-finance. I hope that they are, but my gut is telling me it’s quite possible corruption and classic South American favoritism probably led the Peruvian government to carefully handpick a few to send to China.
y Oportunidades de Foncopés en IPAE. Foto: ANDINA/Norman Córdova.
On the other hand, if they are truly small micro-enterprises which earned this trip to China through participating in a micro-finance program of some sort, this would be a case and point example of the potential of micro-finance institutions to empower the poor with the tools they need to succeed.
If you can read Spanish please click here to access the article which served the basis for this post.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Al-Qaeda declares holy war on China over repression of Uighurs
Abu Yahya al-Libi has been quoted saying:
"The state of atheism is heading to its fall.”
"China will suffer the same fate as the “Russian bear.”

How China is going to deal with this new threat remains to be seen. Also, how Abu Yahya al-Libi plans to wage this holy war is far from clear. Foreign policy buffs describe some obvious concerns such as the growth of the Xinjiang-based East Turkistan Islamic Movement, which is based in the Taliban-rules areas of Pakistan.
This declaration of sorts comes on the heels of The July riots in the capital of Xinjiang which were the deadliest in China in decades. Bloomberg writes, "Al-Libi’s speech, entitled 'East Turkistan, the Forgotten Wound,' echoed complaints of the Uighurs that decades of government-sponsored migration to the province is making them a minority in their homeland."
Personally, this blogger feels a threat such as a Pakistan based, anti-Chinese (Han) movement is not a major problem in the short-term, but it will no less force China to become more involved over the future of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
All eyes will be watching next week when members of Shanghai Cooperation Organization meet in Shanghai to discuss regional issues. This group includes China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Xinjiang, or East Turkistan, as many in the Muslim world refer to it lies at the heart of this grouping of Central Asian countries.
Click here to access Bloomberg's article on this topic
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Everyone wants a piece of Uruguay

You can click the highlighted article title above to access the article directly and read all the juicy details about how Uruguay seems to be the place to be.
Interestingly enough it is not because the country is swimming in resource wealth, a cheap labor sector or any of the cliché niches of a “developing country.” Rather because of its excellent record of political stability, the existence of a judicial system which is fair and honors the law and in my opinion… also because of its unique position next door to Brazil—Uruguay’s major economic partner at the moment.
Major investments highlighted in the article include:
Argentina: No particular companies mentioned, but the article describes how Argentina’s investment community has become “disenchanted with the unorthodox policies and uncertainties of their country they have crossed to Uruguay looking for investment opportunities.”
Brazil: In Sept 2009 Brazilian food processing giant, Marfrig acquired a 51% in the Uruguayan Tannery Zenda. Zenda produces upholstery for some of the most prestigious German car brands
Spain (Basque Province): Cultural heritage links many Uruguayans to “la madre patria” aka, the mother country of Spain, and specifically to the Basque region. Finance minister Alvaro García met with Basque entrepreneurs who expressed “a firm interest to invest in different sectors.”
China: In Sept 2009, a delegation of Uruguayan entrepreneurs attended China’s International Investment and Trade Fair and returned with news Chinese investors were interested in investing in Uruguay’s infrastructure sector; including its ports, energy sector and water treatment facilities.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
October fire sale! Russian credit & Rubles accepted
Instead, the Russian consortium will only have to pay $600 million usd. Sounds like a nice 40% bargain to this blogger. It's a nice deal if you ask me, which coincidentally comes on the heels of Venezuela's securing a large credit line from Russia to buy military equipment.
According to this Dow Jones Newswire published by Rigzone,
The Chavez-led government has talked about plans for nearly $70 billion in oil investments over the coming years as this oil-rich nation seeks to ramp up dwindling production numbers and boost its sagging economy.
But so far, nearly all those plans are based only on memorandums of understanding, with no solid investment commitments from foreign oil companies.
Sounds like Venezuela is becoming increasingly hungry not only for foreign investment, but also to cement its relations with a geopolitical power like the Russian Federation.
Click here to read the newswire article from Rigzone, which I must admit does a far better job at detailing the situation than the concise, and slightly cynical analysis published here at China South America (CSA).
Strike continues at Shougang in Peru (update)
LIMA (Reuters) - Shougang Peru operations stopped by strike
Shougang Hierro Peru, the country's only iron ore producer, said on Monday a week-old strike at its mine had halted production and slowed mineral shipments.
The company's comments were its first since some 1,200 workers walked off the job more than a week ago in a bid to pressure Shougang (SHP.LM: Quote) to raise wages.
"Workers are on strike, therefore (the mine) is not producing," Raul Vera, Shougang's chief executive, told Reuters.
Click here to access the complete update on the situation, courtesy of Reuters
Chile, Copper and BHP Billiton
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Chile copper output rises 7.8%
Copper output in Chile, the world's biggest producer, rose 7.8% in August from a year earlier after state-owned Codelco and BHP Billiton boosted production, the government said.
Output increased to 459,823t from 426,689t a year earlier, the country's national statistics agency said in a statement distributed in Santiago today.
Click here to access the complete article
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Likewise, as this next article exhibits, BHP’s full year profit forecast may be substantially larger than previously thought…
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BHPB profit forecast raised 22% on copper, RBS says
BHPB's profit after tax may be US$10.68 billion in the year ending June 30, analysts led by Warren Edney said in a report dated yesterday. Profit may be US$14.9 billion in the year ending June 30, 2011, up 11% on an earlier forecast, he said.
Click here to access the complete article
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However, we’ll see how this all plays out when BHP’s workers meet next week to vote a potential strike
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BHPB Chile copper workers to vote on strike next week
BHP Billiton workers at the Spence copper mine in Chile will vote whether to go on strike next week after rejecting the company's latest pay offer, a union official said...
Workers may start a strike on October 3 for an indefinite period if they fail to get more of a pay increase, Mr Ramirez said yesterday...
Click here to access the complete article
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All while yet another big player in the copper sector ups their 2010 forecast of avg copper prices
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Chile's Sonami sees 2010 avg copper price $2.50/lb
Chile's second biggest mining association, Sonami, expects the average price of copper to rise by up to 19 percent next year, which might encourage the continuation of more copper projects in the South American nation, its president told Reuters on Monday.
The average copper price may rise to $2.50 per lb in 2010 from an average of $2.10 to $2.30 this year, Sonami's Alfredo Ovalle said in an interview at a forum in Santiago.
Click here to access the complete article
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Sunday, October 4, 2009
RBS forecasts copper prices may hit a new record by 2013
Copper is likely to reach a new high by 2013 as the market moves into a deficit and further tightens in the coming years, RBS Global Banking & Markets said on Thursday."Copper remains our most favoured base metal," RBS said in a research note, in which it forecast an average cash copper price of $9,000 a tonne by 2013, a rise of more than 46% from the current cash MCU0 price on the London Metal Exchange. Benchmark three-month copper price MCU3 hit a record high of $8,940 a tonne in July 2008 and traded at $6,115 a tonne on Thursday.
"Copper's demand prospects are not among the best but we believe copper producers will have the most difficulty in keeping up with growing demand. We forecast an underlying market deficit by 2011 and that by 2013 it will be fast approaching pre-recession tightness," the bank said.
Copper, used extensively in construction, has doubled in price since the beginning of the year on the back of restocking from China, the world's top consumer of the metal and on expectations of a recovery in the global growth.
...
Click here to access the full article from Mineweb
Saturday, October 3, 2009
China parade marks anniversary
Oct 1 - China puts up a spectacularly choreographed show of military might to mark the 60th anniversary of the birth of the People's Republic of China.
Puja Bharwani of Reuters reports.
Reuters Update: Strike at Shougang Peru mine enters fifth day
"We don't see a solution, there's no dialogue with the company," said Julian Sulca, a union official.
Click here to access the full article from Reuters
Monday, September 28, 2009
Protests erupt in Peru at Chinese owned miner Shougang

Well today the workers took action. A leader of the workers union told Reuters reporters "that all 1,200 workers at the mine had joined the labor action."
More updates to come in the days to come. Click here to access the Reuters wire on this story directly.
Back in action after 10 day hyades
Sep 28 (Reuters) - Chinese authorities expect 200 million people to be on the move over this year's October National holiday and China's 60th anniversary.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Japan; a look at the growth strategy of the world's 2nd largest economy
Sep 17 (Reuters) - Japan's new government is crawling out of the worst post-War recession ever, but its ability to spend is growing more limited.
Sino-Brazilian Cooperation
The dragon and anaconda: China, Brazil and power balance in Americas
By Loro Horta
Published on September 16, 2009
The Sino-Brazilian strategic partnership signed nearly two decades ago has, in recent years, begun to produce some impressive results. In 2007 trade between the two giants reached US$29 billion and grew to an impressive $43 billion by the end of 2008. This expanding economic relationship is being complemented with a corresponding growth in their political and diplomatic partnership.

Brazil is indeed a very important source of technology for a China that has been restricted by arms sanctions by the West following Tiananmen. Brazilian weapons have reached as far as Southeast Asia, when Malaysia acquired 18 Astros multiple rocket launchers (MRLS), causing concern in Singapore in the early years of the current decade.
Brazil is not just a major military technology provider, but also a supplier of civilian products. This was clearly demonstrated in August 2007 when it signed a $1.3 billion contract to sell commercial jetliners to Lufthansa and Japan Airlines.
An example of the closeness of Sino-Brazilian military ties came in May this year when Brazilian defence minister Nelson Jobim announced that Chinese fighter pilots would be trained on the Brazilian aircraft carrier Sao Paulo. Jobim's announcement came shortly after a senior Chinese military official publicly stated Beijing's intention to acquire an aircraft carrier in the near future. Bearing in mind that very few countries in the world possess an aircraft carrier and that they are all close US allies, the Brazilian gesture no doubt attests to the importance of Brazil as a source of military technology and know-how.
The energy sector is fast emerging as one of the most important areas of cooperation between the two nations. Brazilian national oil company Petrobras and China have signed several agreements for the construction of various sections of a massive $6 billion pipeline to transport Brazil's growing energy exports to China. In May this year the Chinese government signed a loan of $10 billion to Petrobras to assist it in developing the newly discovered Tupi oil fields.
In exchange, Brazil is to supply Chinese state-owned Sinopec with 200,000 barrels of oil a day for the next 10 years - nearly 7 per cent of China's oil needs. Petrobras is also reported to be transferring deep-water drilling technology to Chinese state-owned companies - an area where China has been rather unsuccessful. Most of its oil activities in China and throughout the world are on shore or in relatively shallow waters.
Click here to read the full analysis
Studies to Eliminate Dollar in Brazil-China Trade Going Slow
"The negotiations are still in an initial phase, with a work group having been created with representatives of Brazil and China, who also met during the G-20 summit, in London," explained a source.
The next step should be the visit of a Central Bank of Brazil delegation to China, "despite there being no forecast as to when it may come true," said the source.
The work group should analyze the "results to be reached through an agreement that China recently established with Argentina" - the first country in South America to benefit from trade exchanges in the same currency with the Asian giant and with whom Brazil has also been developing the same program since September 2008.
The Central Banks of China and Brazil are also going to develop a "study of the potential bilateral trade volume to analyze the possibility of an agreement."
Click here to read the full article
Written by Newsroom
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
[Source] - brazzilmag.com
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Jim Rogers Investment strategy in time of crisis CNBC
"Protectionism is getting worse and worse. I'm terribly worried about because protectionism lead to the Great Depression... I'm worried about a lot of things. A 50% rise in 6-9 months is something to worry about. You usually have corrections after that.
The rise of the Yuan
Sept. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Investors are putting more money into the yuan
on bets China will allow appreciation in the exchange rate to make it
more accepted as an international currency, according to WisdomTree
Investments Inc.
A weak dollar, linked to concern about record amounts of debt in the
U.S., will drive more funds into China and emerging markets given
prospects growth rates will exceed those in developed countries, Bruce
Lavine, president of investment firm WisdomTree, said in an interview.
Lavine said in each of the last three months there was an inflow of
$25 million into his $142 million Chinese Yuan Exchange-Traded Fund,
which was started in May 2008 and invests mostly in yuan
non-deliverable forwards. ETFs are listed on an exchange where they
are bought and sold daily like stocks.
"Five years from now you will see a thoroughly different landscape in
terms of internationalization of the yuan," said New York-based
Lavine, whose funds oversee $5.1 billion in assets. "When the dam
finally breaks, it happens faster than you think."
To access the full article please visit --
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601110&sid=a7FkyJviwSqE
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