Chemicals

China - China 2012 Rare-Earth Quota Unchanged as Sales Slump

Source: Bloomberg Businessweek, 29 December 2011

China, the biggest supplier of rare earths, will keep 2012 overseas sales quotas virtually unchanged after exporters used only half the amount allotted for this year as buyers sought to cut usage and amid complaints over restrictions from trading partners.

The full-year quota may be about 31,130 metric tons, according to Bloomberg News calculations based on first-round quota figures given by the ministry in a statement yesterday. The quota was 30,184 tons in 2011 and 30,258 tons in 2010. China supplies more than 90 percent of the global market.

Vietnam - Vietnam plans to export urea fertilizer by end 2012

Source: Vietnam Business News, 29 December 2011

Vietnam plans to start exporting Urea fertilizer by the end of 2012, Nguyen Hac Thuy, chairman of the Fertilizer Association of Vietnam (FAV) said, adding that Cau Mau and Ninh Binh Urea Fertilizer Plants will start the first production in 2012.

Vietnam is estimated to have spent $1.64 billion to import of 3.93 million tons of fertilizers in the first 11 months of 2011(including 454, 201 tons in November), making on year rises of 57.2% in value and 28.5% in volume, the General Department of Vietnam Customs said in its monthly release on Dec 12. Fertilizer plants nationwide currently meet local demand for phosphate fertilizers. The country imports small volume of urea fertilizer from China and all potassium from Belarus.

Pakistan - Dark days for fertiliser industry continue

Source: The Express Tribune, 28 December 2011

Sales of urea, the most widely used fertiliser, declined by 5% in the period from January to November 2011 due to persistent gas outages faced by manufacturers which has led to a drop in production levels.

Unavailability and higher prices of both key fertilisers due to black marketing and hoarding can be attributed to the severe plunge witnessed in sales inspite of the low base year due to damage done by the historical floods of last year, said Summit Capital analyst Sarfraz Abbasi.

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