Some Iron Ore Delayed On Way To China
2008年03月20日10:01
最近，部分发往中国的铁矿石显然遭遇障碍，而眼下中国钢铁生产商与全球最大矿业巨头间的铁矿石价格谈判正在紧张进行中。
Some shipments of iron ore into China are apparently running into snags, as China's steelmakers enter into tense negotiations with the world's mining giants over the price of the key material.
一位了解情况的高层管理人员透露，必和必拓(BHP Billiton Ltd.)和力拓股份有限公司(Rio Tinto PLC)的部分铁矿石发货被延迟，而印度甚至一些其他澳大利亚公司的铁矿石却顺利抵达目的地。这位人士说，这明显是为了给目前的铁矿石谈判制造一些压力。
Some shipments of iron ore from BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto are being delayed as iron ore from Indian and even other Australian companies are getting through, an executive familiar with the situation said. 'It's clearly aimed at creating some pressure around the iron-ore negotiations,' the executive said.
中国商务部(Ministry of Commerce)的一位官员否认了存在故意延迟发放进口许可的做法。他说，他无法对子虚乌有的事情作出回应。
An official at the Ministry of Commerce denied there was any deliberate delay in issuing import permits: 'How can I respond to something which isn't happening?' the official said.
目前，作为全球最大铁矿石出口商的澳大利亚矿业公司正在努力说服亚洲钢铁生产商接受铁矿石长期供应合同提价71%以上的提议。去年的涨价幅度与此类似，但是今年的大环境略有不同，中国等国家正为控制国内的通货膨胀而焦头烂额，全球经济面临陷入衰退的风险。
The latest row comes as Australian miners, the world's biggest iron-ore exporters, are trying to negotiate at least a 71% price increase for long-term contracts with Asian steel mills. The increase comes after similarly high increases last year and as countries like China are increasingly worried about controlling domestic inflation and a global recession.
中国最大的钢铁生产商宝钢集团有限公司(Baosteel Group Corp.)已经与巴西淡水河谷公司(Companhia Vale do Rio Doce)达成协议，同意将从后者采购的铁矿石价格提高65%-71%。但是澳大利亚矿业公司称，由于承担了较大比例的运输成本，他们应该获得更大的涨价幅度。
Baosteel Group Corp., China's biggest steel producer, has already agreed to a price increase of 65% to 71% for the iron ore it buys from Brazilian Cia. Vale do Rio Doce. Typically that sets a global benchmark. But Australian miners say they should get a bigger increase since since they are paying a bigger share of the transportation costs.
相对于通过长期合同锁定铁矿石供应的大型中国钢铁生产商，铁矿石发货的延迟对规模较小的钢铁生产商可能会产生更大的影响，因为后者往往更加依赖铁矿石现货供应。
The delays may be having a disproportionately bigger impact on smaller Chinese steelmakers, which tend to rely more on buying spot shipments of iron ore, than on the larger companies, which sign long-term contracts for their supplies.
此外，中国已经对必和必拓试图收购力拓感到紧张不安，因为这笔交易会使得中国发展所急需的铁矿石供应掌握在一家巨无霸公司的手中。中国铝业股份有限公司 (Aluminum Corp. of China)与美国铝业公司(Alcoa Inc.)已联手收购了力拓的部分股份，大多数分析师认为，这一举措是为了阻碍必和必拓的收购进程。
China is already nervous about BHP's attempt to take over Rio, since that would concentrate in the hands of one megacompany an enormous amount of the iron ore the country desperately needs. Aluminum Corp. of China, or Chinalco, joined with U.S.'s Alcoa Inc. to buy a stake in Rio, and most analysts believe that was done to block BHP's bid.
Shai Oster
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