必和必拓逼中国钢厂提高结算价40% 被指缺乏诚信

happylux

2010年03月02日 01:45经济参考报
记者 杨烨 北京报道

三大巨头之一的必和必拓加大了铁矿石谈判外围造势。近期《经济参考报》从消息人士处获悉，尽管目前谈判仍在进行，但必和必拓已经单方面通知我国一些钢厂要求把长协矿临时结算价格提高40%，等谈判结果出来后再按照谈定结果“多退少补”。

必和必拓表示，如果钢厂不按照这个价格开具信用证，将不会按照约定供应长协矿，钢厂只能按照目前现货价格进口铁矿石。强势态度背后，必和必拓意图非常明显：人为推高铁矿石谈判价格基础，拉涨业内对铁矿石长协谈判价格心理预期，最终提高铁矿石长协价格，从中国钢厂那里获取暴利。

据内部人士透露，为了方便统计成本和利润，去年有一些钢厂与必和必拓签订的长协合同到今年1月份到期，在面临签新年度长协合同的时候，必和必拓“适时”抛出了这样的要求。

很多家钢厂人士都不愿多谈此事，一位钢厂中层告诉《经济参考报》，对于钢厂来说，尽管对这样的提法并不满意，但是由于一方面希望得到长协供应，另一方面迫于目前的现货价格实在是高得离谱，也不得不勉强接受。

被迫接受的滋味并不好受。一位大型钢铁集团高层人士在参加近期举行的行业研讨会中坦言，由于铁矿石价格上涨太快太高，加上废钢价格上涨幅度较大，集团目前大部分产品处于亏损状态，有毛利的产品并不多，毛利每吨也仅有50到100多元，加上相关费用，基本不挣钱。如果矿石价格被三大巨头这样拉高，钢厂经营将更加困难。

令人吃惊的是，必和必拓最新公布的半年财报利润，已经接近我国68家大中型钢铁企业全年总和。据了解，2月11日，必和必拓公司发布半年财报，截至2009年12月31日的半年间，公司实现净利润61亿美元，大约相当于416.4亿元，增长134.4%。

根据中钢协提供的数据，纳入统计的68户大中型钢铁企业2009年实现利润553.88亿元(含投资收益、资产减值损失转回167.52亿元)，比上年下降31.43%。而大中型钢厂2009年全年销售利润率仅为2.55%。

我的钢铁网咨询总监徐向春在接受《经济参考报》记者采访时表示，正是因为从铁矿石价格上尝到了甜头，必和必拓这次的行为显得非常强硬，其一，是对中国市场需求看好，其二，即使中国钢厂不买账，必和必拓也可以用现货供应的方式，从中大赚一笔。

“在谈判中间提出这样的要求，本身也缺乏诚信。”徐向春表示，市场上下游本来就应该是合作共赢的，三大巨头应该把眼光放得长远一点，要从长期合作的角度出发。同时，三大巨头也不要低估了中国矿山的生产潜力，如果矿价上涨超过100美元，将刺激中国矿山生产，大约增加会达到4000至5000万吨，加上其他国家矿产资源供应的增加，三大矿山在中国的供应格局也将发生改变。

为了扭转目前被动的铁矿石谈判局面，河北钢铁[5.76 0.17%]集团一位高层在近日举行的内部会议上，建议改变目前国内的谈判代表模式。该人士表示，可以首先由国内16家最大的千万吨规模钢厂投资参股组成一家“国家矿业资源联合股份有限公司”，这家公司的矿石年采购数量要达到2亿吨，采购金额达到500至1000亿元，负责铁矿石统一采购和投资，按照持股比例再进行分配，上述公司同时也是中方的谈判代表，每年负责和三大矿山进行铁矿石谈判。通过整体规模优势，获得铁矿石谈判话语权，真正实现“量大从优”。

bayliner1979

中国人真TMD是一盘散沙。

ATT

BEIJING -(Dow Jones)- The 2010-2011 iron ore benchmark price is likely to rise more than 40% over last year's price, a senior executive with China's Hebei Iron and Steel Group said Friday at an industry meeting.

The price rise is likely to greatly burden the steelmaker, he said.

"If the price rises 40%, it will exceed the 2008-2009 benchmark price by 3%; if this year's price rises 50%, it will exceed the 2008-2009 price by 13%," the official said. "We have a huge burden."

The 2008-2009 benchmark price was China's historic peak for the bulk discount rate, which is annually negotiated between Chinese steelmakers and global miners. Negotiations for the 2010-2011 iron ore benchmark price are currently going on, with no clear deadline.

"The spot price of iron ore is over CNY1,000 (a metric ton) now," he said. "Our company is undergoing a full-scale loss on all products based on the spot prices between Feb. 18 and Feb. 24."

The executive also said that Hebei Iron is in talks for a stake in a Brazilian miner on a deal that could potentially be valued at $6 billion, though he didn't indicate whether this amount was what Hebei intends to spend.

"Whether it's a majority or minority holding is not yet decided," he said. "The talks are still in progress."

-Yajun Zhang contributed to this article; Dow Jones Newswires; (86 10) 8400-7712; yajun.zhang@dowjones.com

Click here to go to Dow Jones NewsPlus, a web front page of today's most important business and market news, analysis and commentary: http://www.djnewsplus.com/access ... 2By3ZLGHTXHA%3D%3D. You can use this link on the day this article is published and the following day.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 01, 2010 02:10 ET (07:10 GMT)

ATT

(Adds Hebei Iron proposal to set up centralized iron ore import and pricing company; combines elements from other stories.)
BEIJING -(Dow Jones)- Hebei Iron and Steel Group, one of China's most influential steelmakers, has pitched a raft of proposals to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, focused on moving the country toward a unified iron ore import price and gaining better control of the raw material's prices.
The company--which recently surpassed Baosteel Group Corp. as China's largest steel miller by output, according to analysts--suggested to the ministry that global miners be prevented from getting involved in a proposed iron ore distribution center at Qingdao, a senior company executive said Friday at a closed-door industry meeting.
Such a move would limit the possibility of miners promoting a spot market for iron ore, said the executive, who didn't want to be named.
Brazilian miner Vale S.A. (VALE) is building a regional distribution center for 400,000-metric ton ships at Qingdao.
The Hebei executive said it would hurt the interests of China and its steelmakers if iron ore miners are allowed to establish a distribution center that would probably become a "base for the spot market" at Qingdao Harbor.
China is trying to unify import prices for iron ore and to increase its leverage against the major global producers--Vale, Rio Tinto PLC (RIO.AU) and BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP, so Hebei has suggested that an iron ore company be formed to centralize imports and price negotiations.
The proposal was for the company, tentatively called National Ore Resource United Co., to be formed using initial investments by the country's 16 largest steel mills.
The company would be responsible for "centralizing iron ore imports and investments," and the imported iron ore could be distributed to investors according to their investment amounts, the executive said. "This could also be a better way of negotiating with iron ore miners than having every steel mill handle their own long-term negotiations."
Chinese steelmakers face the prospect of sharply higher benchmark prices for iron ore this year.
The 2010-2011 benchmark is likely to rise more than 40% over last year's price, putting a great burden on steelmakers, the executive said. Most contracts cover periods starting on April 1.
"If the price rises 40%, it will exceed the 2008-2009 benchmark price (the historic peak for China's bulk discount rate) by 3%; if this year's price rises 50%, it will exceed the 2008-2009 price by 13%," the official said. "We have a huge burden."
Negotiations for the 2010-2011 iron ore benchmark price continue with no clear deadline.
"The spot price of iron ore is over CNY1,000 (a metric ton) now," he said. "Our company is undergoing full-scale losses on all products based on the spot prices between Feb. 18 and Feb. 24."
The executive also said that Hebei Iron is in talks for a stake in a Brazilian miner on a deal that could potentially be valued at $6 billion, though he didn't indicate whether this amount was what Hebei intends to spend.
"Whether it's a majority or minority holding is not yet decided," he said. "The talks are still in progress."
A media official at the ministry had no immediate comment Monday. Hebei couldn't be reached.
-Yajun Zhang and Chuin-Wei Yap contributed to this article; Dow Jones Newswires; (86 10) 8400-7712; yajun.zhang@dowjones.com
Click here to go to Dow Jones NewsPlus, a web front page of today's most important business and market news, analysis and commentary: http://www.djnewsplus.com/access ... 2By3ZLGHTXHA%3D%3D. You can use this link on the day this article is published and the following day.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 01, 2010 02:51 ET (07:51 GMT)
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