Baosteel News

Thyssenkrupp on Monday said it was looking for partners for its steel and warship divisions, singling out just three lines of businesses that will stay within the struggling German industrial icon.Hoping to stop the bleeding of cash and restore investor confidence, the group also pooled businesses worth 6 billion euros ($6.6 billion) of sales and employing 20,000, about 13% of total staff, that are either to be sold or shut down."With this reassessment of the portfolio, we have taken some difficult decisions that were long overdue and will now implement them systematically…

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, rose on Thursday on bigger gains for the capesize index and improved activity across vessel segments. The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, supramax and handysize shipping vessels, climbed 15 points or 3.62 percent to 429 points. The index has gained about 47 percent since touching its lowest of 290 points on Feb. 10. The rally, however, will have to last longer for a sustainable recovery of the shipping industry that has been facing an oversupply of vessels and a slowdown in demand for quite some time now, analysts said. The capesize index jumped 60 points, or 28.57 percent, to 270 points.

Two partners in port project have entered administration means that port charges are now higher for other backers. Glencore and five other miners backing the world's most expensive coal port in Australia face extra annual charges of A$150 million after the restructuring of one of their partners this month, the latest to buckle under slumping commodity prices. The additional charge will deal a blow to the remaining backers of the A$2.6 billion ($2 billion) Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal (WICET) in east Australia at a time when they are grappling with floundering coal markets. Mining and trading giant Glencore and seven partners began negotiations to build WICET in 2008 near the height of a coal boom…

China Supreme Court says Mitsui pays about $29 mln; Ship released about 0030 GMT Thursday. Ship was seized over dispute dating back to 1930s. Advisor to plaintiffs says will likely demand more money. Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd paid about $29 million for the release of a ship seized by China over a dispute that dates back to the 1930s war between the countries, China's Supreme Court said on Thursday. The Chinese government has described the case as a simple business dispute unrelated to wartime compensation claims, but it has become a cause célèbre for activists in China seeking redress from Japan. Mitsui paid about 2.92 billion yen ($28.5 million) in leasing fees, including interest and damages, China's Supreme Court said in a statement on its official microblog.

Japanese shipping firm Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd said on Thursday that its ship, the "Baosteel Emotion" 226,434 deadweight-tonne ore carrier, is ready to leave a Chinese port soon after it paid a Chinese court to release the vessel from seizure. The company did not disclose how much it paid the court over an alleged payments dispute dating back to World War Two. (Reporting by Osamu Tsukimori; Editing by Dominic Lau)

It all began with a pre-World War II contract between China's then "ship king" and a Japanese company to lease two Chinese freighters. When the one-year lease was up in 1937, the ships were nowhere to be found. That year also marked the start of a full-scale war between China and Japan. And so began a protracted legal case which came to a head last weekend, when a Chinese court ordered the seizure of an iron ore carrier owned by the successor to the original Japanese company in compensation for the loss of the two Chinese vessels. The impoundment has created unease in Japan's government, which warns that the action could affect Japanese businesses in China. It remains unclear whether the sudden ruling by the Shanghai Maritime Court would herald the seizure of more Japanese assets.

It all began with a pre-World War Two contract between China's then "ship king" and a Japanese company to lease two Chinese freighters. When the one-year lease was up in 1937, the ships were nowhere to be found. That year also marked the start of a full-scale war between China and Japan. And so began a protracted legal case which came to a head last weekend, when a Chinese court ordered the seizure of an iron ore carrier owned by the successor to the original Japanese company in compensation for the loss of the two Chinese vessels. The impoundment has created unease in Japan's government, which warns that the action could affect Japanese businesses in China. It remains unclear whether the sudden ruling by the Shanghai Maritime Court would herald the seizure of more Japanese assets.

A maritime court in Shanghai has ordered the detention of a Japanese ship having ordered the ship's owner to pay delayed rent and losses to a Chinese firm deting from as long ago as 2007, according to Xinhua. The ship, named BAOSTEEL EMOTION and owned by Japanese shipping firm Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), was detained at a port in east China's Zhejiang Province. The court ruled on Dec. 7, 2007 that MOL should compensate the Chinese firm 2.9 billion Japanese Yen (28.4 million U.S. dollars), including delayed rent and operating losses.

Sino-Global Shipping America, Ltd. establishes Sino-Global Shipping Canada Inc., to provide ship services in Canadian ports. Sino-Global Shipping Canada is already providing shipping services to Baosteel's vessels in Canada. Baosteel, based in Shanghai, China, is the second largest steel producer in the world with huge demands for iron ore and other commodities. Mr. Cao Lei , Sino-Global's Chief Executive Officer, stated, "As we have noted in the past, Sino- Global Shipping America Ltd. has always sought to expand its geographical reach by developing relationships and activities worldwide. The new wholly-owned Canadian subsidiary is another step in establishing Sino-Global as the pre-eminent provider of shipping services worldwide.

International certification, verification and ship classification company RINA is celebrating its ties with China on its 150th anniversary. It also took the opportunity to celebrate the ties between Italy and China on the 150th anniversary of Italian Unification. Formed in Genoa, Italy, in 1861 as a ship classification society, RINA is today a global multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural company with growing business in China and the surrounding region. Today in Shanghai RINA CEO Ugo Salerno and Vincenzo De Luca…

“Shipbuilding enterprises must be able to handle any strong waves that come their way, and their ships must be solidly built yet be able to move flexibly. Since 2008, the Chinese shipbuilding industry has experienced many ups and downs. The first was the big increase in shipbuilding steel material prices in 2008, with the prices at some steel producers reaching 10,000 RMB per ton, resulting in price increases of 21% to 30% over four months. The next challenge was the slump of the international shipping market in 2009 as impacted by the global financial crisis…

China CSSC Holdings (600150) plans to raise up to four billion yuan from a private placement of 60 million shares at not less than $0.6b per share, reports Shanghai Securities News, citing a company filing. The target shares will be offered to up to 10 investors, including China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), CSSC Holdings’ parent, Baosteel Group and China Shipping Group.   (Source: CapitalVue)

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. announced an agreement with China’s Baosteel Group Corporation to further strengthen the companies’ cooperative relationship. The agreement was reached at an October 13 meeting between MOL President Ashida and Baosteel President He Wenbo at Baosteel headquarters in Shanghai. MOL presented a model of the 300,000-ton iron ore carrier Baosteel Elaboration to Baosteel as well. “In the process of consolidation with other steel mills in China, Baosteel may gradually increase iron ore imports in the future, and transport needs may continue to grow,” Baosteel said.

According to a report from People’s Daily Online, three major central state-owned enterprises (SOEs), China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), Baosteel Group Corporation and China Shipping (Group) Company, have joined hands to establish CSSC Guangzhou. With a registered capital of $0.4b, it is jointly funded by CSSC, Baosteel and China Shipping with their investment accounting for 60, 30 and 10 percent respectively. (Source: People's Daily Online)

BHP Billiton today announced it had reached agreement with China's Baosteel on the price for iron ore deliveries for the contract year commencing 1 April 2008. The following prices apply to all of its long-term supply agreements for deliveries in the contract year with Baosteel. US cents 144.66 per dry metric tonne unit. US cents 201.69 per dry metric tonne unit. President BHP Billiton Marketing, Tom Schutte said: "We note the recent 2008 contract year price settlement of a major supply source for Australian iron ore with Baosteel. We are pleased to have also reached agreement with Baosteel at the prices announced today. Chief Executive Ferrous and Coal…

An analyst from CITIC Securities Co., Ltd., said that the prices of steel products for shipbuilding would not increase as much as others, thanks to the long term partnership between shipbuilders and steel producers. Baosteel, a flagship in China's iron and steel industry, is a shareholder of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, and the two parties have co-invested in a leading shipbuilding base in China, Gao noted. Although China's steel enterprises have not yet released the growth rate of steel prices for the shipbuilding industry, Gao remained positive on the development of large shipbuilders. A researcher from China Shipbuilding Industrial Economy Research Center…

China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC) profits almost tripled last year as it boosted output and improved production efficiency, according to chinadaily.com. Net income surpassed $1.93b last year, skyrocketing from 5.2 billion yuan in 2006. It finished 6.55 million deadweight tons of vessels in the past year and received a record order of more than 23 million dwt of ships worldwide, which put its overall amount for orders yet to deliver beyond 50 million dwt. By occupying the global shipbuilding market of 7.5 percent, 10 percent and another 10 percent in ship construction, new orders and total orders respectively; CSSC shrank the gap between itself and the world's largest shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries Co of South Korea, maintaining the second place for two consecutive years.

China State Shipbuilding Co. said it has completed a private offer of $1.6b worth of new shares to strategic investors to fund expansion. The company sold 400 million new shares to eight investors including its state-owned parent at $3.99 a piece, less than one-eighth of its current share price, according to a filing to the Shanghai Stock Exchange. The share placement was initially announced in January by Hudong Heavy Machinery Co, which in August changed its name to China State Shipbuilding. In January, its shares were quoted around $3.99. But the stock has since rocketed, becoming the most expensive on the mainland market, amid fund buying and an injection of assets by its parent. The company has said it will acquire more assets from its parent.

According to reports, Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd., has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Baoshan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. to import wide and heavy plates for shipbuilding. Hyundai Heavy Industries plans to import 180,000 tons of steel plates from Baosteel yearly. Hyundai Heavy Industries said that the price was lower than that offered by Japanese steelmarkers and a South Korean report said that South Korea would gradually enlarge imports of China- made steel plates for shipbuilding. South Korean shipbuilders mainly bought wide and heavy plates from Japan besides the local supply. But the two sides have had different opinions on pricing since the second half of 2005.

Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. disclosed that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Baoshan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. to import wide and heavy plates for shipbuilding. Hyundai Heavy Industries plans to import 180,000 tons of steel plates from Baosteel yearly. Both declined to disclose the price of the deal to keep trade secret. Hyundai Heavy Industries said that the price was lower than that offered by Japanese steelmarkers and a South Korean report said that South Korea would gradually enlarge imports of China- made steel plates for shipbuilding. South Korean shipbuilders mainly bought wide and heavy plates from Japan besides the local supply. But the two sides have had different opinions on pricing since the second half of 2005.

Hudong Heavy Machinery Co., said that it will use proceeds to fund its purchase of shipyards and to invest in new technologies. With the proceeds, Hudong will buy 100% of Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co. and CSSC Chengxi Shipyards and 54% of Guangzhou Wenchong Shipyard. It will also invest in technology upgrades. The company, which is the biggest maker of diesel engines for ships in China, will sell up to 400 million A-shares at RMB 30 per share in exchange for RMB 9 billion in assets and RMB 3 billion in cash, it said in a statement to the Shanghai Stock Exchange Monday. Hudong’s controlling shareholder, China State Shipbuilding Corp., will buy 59% of the share issue. The other buyers include Baosteel Group Corp., China Life Insurance Co., Shanghai Electric Group Corp.

The Shanghai Baosteel Group Corp., China's largest steel producer, is to cooperate with the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) to construct the country's largest shipbuilding base, according to a report on http://english.people.com.cn. According to an agreement, the Baosteel and CSSC will jointly invest $1.25 billion to build the No. 1 and No. 2 production lines at the Jiangnan Changxing Shipbuilding Base, located at the estuary of the Yangtze River. Baosteel will take a 35-percent stake and CSSC a 65-percent stake in the two production lines, which are designed to manufacture ships with 4.5 million dead weight tons (dwt) annually.

The Shanghai Baosteel Group Corp., China's largest steel producer, is to cooperate with the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) to construct the country's largest shipbuilding base. According to an agreement signed last Friday, the Baosteel and CSSC will jointly invest 10 billion yuan (1.25 billion U.S. dollars) to build the No. 1 and No. 2 production lines at the Jiangnan Changxing Shipbuilding Base, located at the estuary of the Yangtze River. Baosteel will take a 35-percent stake and CSSC a 65-percent stake in the two production lines, which are designed to manufacture ships with 4.5 million dead weight tons (dwt) annually.