China to invest billions in Brazilian Port
China will make a billion-dollar investment in the Brazilian port of Sao Luis via China Communications Construction Company, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday.Speaking on condition of anonymity, the sources said the announcement will be made at the summit of leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the so-called BRICS group of emerging nations, who are meeting in the Brazilian capital for a two-day summit.The deal will be part of the largest foreign direct investment into Brazil this year, one of the sources said, without revealing any figures.Economy Minister Paulo Guedes said on Wednesday that Brazil is seeking closer integration with China…
Vale Says Ships Sale, Leaseback Could Fetch $1.1 Bln
Brazil's Vale SA said on Friday that it plans to sell its 11 remaining Valemax iron ore carriers and lease them back in transactions that could raise $1.1 billion. Vale has said it has experienced some delay in selling the ships, the key to its attempt to cut transportation costs between its Brazilian mines and Asian customers, as it seeks to get the best freight rates under contracts to lease the ships back from the new owners. Each more than 360-meter-long (1181-ft-long) ship can carry 380,000 to 400,000 tonnes of ore and are among the biggest vessels afloat. Vale has been selling its part of the world's 35-vessel Valemax fleet for about $110 million each, Luciano Siani, chief financial officer of Rio de Janeiro-based Vale told investors at a conference in London.
Brazil's Vale Opens Malaysia Port in Bid to Cut Freight Costs
Brazil's Vale SA on Friday inaugurated a $1.4 billion port in Malaysia able to receive and blend iron ore from its mega-ships, an important step in the miner's battle to cut transportation costs to the crucial Chinese market. Brazil's distance from China - which accounts for nearly 70 percent of the global seaborne market for iron ore - has been a distinct disadvantage in Vale's attempts to compete with closer Australian rivals BHP Billiton Plc and Rio Tinto Plc. The port in Malaysia, as well as the giant ships known as Valemaxes, are part of a plan to address the problem. Its urgency has grown this year as the price of iron ore has tumbled 40 percent. Such a facility is particularly important as a two-year-long ban on Valemaxes docking at Chinese ports remains in force.
Vale Financials Disappoint; Iron Ore Prices, Currency Cited
Brazil's Vale posted a surprise loss of $1.44 billion on Thursday, hurt by a fall in the price of iron ore, higher production costs and a weakening Brazilian currency. Analysts said the results were disappointing and suggested Vale might find it harder than expected to fund expansion projects over the next two years and its dividend could be cut. The performance will be taken as an ominous sign by some as Vale competes with Australian rivals Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton to increase production and cut costs in the face of an iron ore price near five-year-lows. The world's largest producer of iron ore mined a record amount of the steel-making ingredient during the quarter, but Vale's slight rise in production was not enough to offset the plunge in price.
Cracks Reported in Vale Beijing Ballast Tanks
Reuters is reporting that the damaged Vale Beijing, the world's largest iron-ore carrier, was moved from its berth in Brazil for repairs. Tugs reportedly moved the ship from the dock in the port in Sao Luis in northeastern Brazil and will tow it to a location outside the shipping channel, a harbor pilot official told Reuters. The port in northeastern Brazil is operated by Vale. The 384,300 tons of ore loaded aboard the Vale Beijing, was mined by Vale at its giant Carajas complex in the Amazon region. The ship reportedly has a crack in its ballast tanks, though the source of the crack -- operational or structural -- is not yet known. (Source: Reuters)
