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☆ Danish Crown says Chinese pork demand subdued, set to cut 550 jobs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Chinese pork demand is weak despite relaxation of the country's COVID policies as many people continue to avoid restaurants, said Jais Valeur, the head of Europe's biggest pork producer. "Right now I don't see any signs that Chinese imports are on the rise," Valeur told Reuters in an interview, adding that the Chinese market would probably normalize within six months. Slow Chinese demand has a knock-on effect on the European market. The outbreak of African swine fever in some European countries, including Germany, prompted producers in Spain to boost output aimed at the Chinese market. "All that meat is now flooding the European market, where consumers are now coping with inflation and are worried about the future," Valeur said.

While the Chinese ban has been lifted, it's unlikely that buyers will flock back to Australian thermal coal, given the availability of cheaper, and similar quality, coal from Russia. The weakness in prices wasn't limited to Australian thermal coal, with Indonesian grades also dropping. Indonesia is the world's largest exporter of thermal coal, while Australia ranks second and Russia third. Russian thermal coal from Vostochny port, which is largely being bought by China after Japan curbed imports following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has also been weakening. Prices for Indonesia, Russia and Australia thermal coalVOLUMES SLIPThe softer prices for thermal coal are occurring as demand for seaborne cargoes appears to be weakening among Asia's top two importing nations.

☆ Column: North Asia cranks coal imports to fuel industrial reboot
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Gavin Maguire | Thomson Reuters | Gavin Maguire Is The Global Energy Transition Columnist. He Was Previously Asia Commodities | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

LITTLETON, Colo. Jan 24 (Reuters) - Thermal coal imports into China, Japan and South Korea - three of the world's largest coal users - hit their highest combined total in 16 months in December as the North Asian manufacturing powerhouses primed their economies for growth in 2023. Economic momentum in these countries - which collectively accounted for nearly half of all thermal coal imports in 2021 - was subdued in 2022 as China's strict zero-COVID measures stifled industrial activity across the world's largest manufacturing base. Combined thermal coal imports by the three countries totalled 43 million tonnes in December 2022, the highest monthly tally since August 2021, ship-tracking data from Kpler shows. China output of key industrial inputsOne such key end user is Asia's car production industry, which started to show signs of growth as of the latest data from late 2022 across China, Japan and South Korea. Japan passenger car exports by key marketIn sum, the combination of more freedom of movement in China and greater industrial activity across North Asia should spur an improvement in global economic growth in 2023.

☆ Make it easier to raise children, say many Chinese after population falls
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Our parents think if they have more children, they can get more care when they grow old. They think raising one child is already very tiring." China is one of the most expensive places to raise a child, beaten only by South Korea, according to the Beijing-based YuWa Population Research. In Australia it was 2.08 times, 2.24 times in France, 2.91 times in Sweden, 3.64 times in Germany, and 4.11 times in the US. By comparison, north Asian countries were the costliest, with Japan 4.26 times, China 6.9 times and South Korea 7.79 times.

The question now is whether 2023 will see China reassert its dominance as the main driver of commodity markets. There were differences in China's 2022 commodities imports, and the trends established may persist for a while yet. However, the trend for crude oil imports and product exports shifted in the last quarter of 2022. Crude oil imports rose 4% in December from the same month a year earlier, reaching 11.3 million bpd. It's likely that they will want to ramp up purchases in 2023 to meet rising domestic demand from the re-opening economy and ongoing fuel export quotas.

☆ Asian companies see earnings upgrades by analysts over the past month
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 10 (Reuters) - Analysts raised 2023 earnings estimates for Asian companies over the past month, contrasting with the raft of earnings downgrades in the last year, as China's reopening and slowing inflationary pressures boost optimism. MSCI Asia-Pacific's (.MIAP00000PUS) 2023 earnings estimates were raised by 2.5% over the past month, with China's earnings raised by 3.1%, followed by Japan's 2.3%. By sector, analysts lifted consumer discretionary and industrials earnings by over 2% in the past month, while financials and tech companies were increased by 1.2% each. Last year, analysts cut their forward 12-month earnings by 7% as the region's revenues shrank due to China's stricter COVID-restrictions and as higher product prices affected companies' profit margins. Breakdown by sector for estimates changes"In general, valuations of Asian equities look attractive compared with those of developed markets.

☆ Investors need to be constructive on North Asian stocks, says BofA Securities
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailInvestors need to be constructive on North Asian stocks, says BofA SecuritiesAjay Kapur of BofA Securities says investors should buy sectors in North Asia that are "highly correlated to the Chinse credit cycle."

☆ In 2023, China's appetite for LNG set to rise amid tepid demand across Asia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Emily Chow | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Summary China's 2023 LNG demand seen rising 9-14% - analystsNuclear power to dampen Japan, South Korea LNG demandLimited LNG supplies to come online globally next yearSINGAPORE, Jan 5 (Reuters) - China's liquefied natural gas (LNG) demand is forecast to recover in 2023 as the country emerges from COVID-19 controls to become the bright spot in Asia's consumption for the super-chilled fuel. This led Europe to import record amounts of LNG, pushing Asian spot LNG prices to historical highs. Asia LNG and Europe gas price chartNUCLEAR SWITCHChina's 2023 demand rebound would be offset by lower consumption from Japan, South Korea and South Asian nations, analysts said. As a result, Asia's share of global LNG demand would remain just above 60% for a second straight year. In response to high LNG prices, Japan and South Korea aim to increase nuclear power's contribution to their energy supply, leading analysts to cut estimates of 2023 LNG demand from those countries.

☆ Asia will probably be the best part of the global stocks scene in 2023, Credit Suisse says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailAsia will probably be the best part of the global stocks scene in 2023, Credit Suisse saysDan Fineman of the investment bank says he expects that at some point in the year, investors will "pivot" from South Asian markets to North Asian ones.

☆ The Asian nation where 35% of people say they’ll 'never travel' again
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Yet, no country came close to the travel reluctance shown in Japan, where some 35% of respondents said they don't intend to travel again. The survey asked about "any leisure travel" and did not differentiate between domestic or international travel plans, said Lindsey Roeschke, a travel and hospitality analyst at Morning Consult. The number of people who say they'll "never travel" again is nearly six times greater in Japan (35%) than in Germany (6%), according to Morning Consult's "The State of Travel & Hospitality" report. We expect to see a return to the pre-2020 demand for international travel sooner rather than later. The British artist known as Miles Takes told CNBC Travel that "international travel still seems a while away" for him.

☆ Foreign visitors in Japan surge after tourism reopening
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Elaine Lies | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOKYO, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The number of foreign visitors to Japan rose to nearly 500,000 in October, the first month it fully reopened to overseas visitors after more than two years of COVID restrictions, more than doubling the volume from September. The number of foreign visitors, for both tourism and business, rose to 498,600 in October, more than double September's 206,500 and surging a massive 2,155% from the year before, the Japan National Tourism Organization said, though it was still down 80% on 2019. This year, 1.52 million foreign visitors have arrived, a far cry from the record 31.8 million in 2019 and the government's 2020 goal - pegged to the Summer Olympics, that were ultimately postponed - of 40 million. "We are seeing the weak yen in a positive way," he said. Japan said on Tuesday it was reopening its ports to cruise ships from March 2023, with some 166 ships slated to visit next year, industry group Japan International Cruise Committee (JICC).

☆ Piyush Gupta might be banking’s boldest boss
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Una Galani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Piyush Gupta of $65 billion Singaporean lender DBS Group (DBSM.SI) appears to be that CEO, whether he thinks of himself that way or not. Yet the two banks trade on a similar multiple of 1.5 times their estimated 2022 book value, according to Refinitiv. There is limited room for growth in DBS’ tiny home market, a city with a population of 5.5 million people. That, plus the pressure to maintain that 1.5-times-book market value, means Gupta needs to keep finding ways to grow. U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks on Nov. 14 while at the G20 summit in Indonesia.

There are signs, however, that LNG demand is ticking higher ahead of winter, with commodity analysts Kpler estimating November imports in both Asia and Europe to rise. LNG imports by Asia, Europe vs JKM priceEUROPE BUYING AGAINEurope's imports are expected to reach 11.49 million tonnes in November, which would be the second-highest in Kpler's records behind the 11.55 million tonnes in January. Europe's LNG imports were 10.13 million tonnes in October, which was the first time since May they had exceeded 10 million tonnes in a month. The United States remains Europe's biggest supplier, with imports of 4.66 million tonnes expected in November, up from 4.17 million in October. Europe's imports of Russian LNG are continuing, with arrivals of 1.32 million tonnes in November, up from 1.05 million in October.

☆ Chinese refiners seek less Saudi crude as demand weak
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Muyu Xu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SINGAPORE, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Several Chinese refiners have asked Saudi Aramco to reduce December-loading crude oil volumes, two sources close to the matter said, as COVID-19 restrictions and a faltering economy have weakened fuel demand in the world's biggest oil importer. China's crude oil imports in October recovered to the level last seen in May, supported by stockpile demand at two new refineries preparing for commercial operation. Apart from the reduced demand, China has been buying Russian crude oil priced at steep discounts after the Ukraine crisis, squeezing out other suppliers, including Saudi Arabia. Saudi Aramco did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request comment, which was made outside office hours. Saudi Aramco has cut its December selling prices for its flagship Arab Light crude and told at least four refinery customers in North Asia they will receive full contract volumes of crude oil in December.

☆ Japan's Toshiba slashes profit outlook after second-quarter slump
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Makiko Yamazaki | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp (6502.T) on Friday cut its full-year operating profit outlook after a 75% slump in second-quarter profit - dismal results that heighten the uncertainty surrounding its prospects for a buyout deal. It cut its profit forecast for the year ending in March by roughly a quarter to 125 billion yen ($885 million). Kioxia Holdings Corp, a memory chip maker some 40% owned by Toshiba, has also said it would cut production by about 30% from in October. For the July-September quarter, Toshiba posted an operating profit of 7.5 billion yen ($53.2 million). That was far short of a Refinitiv consensus estimate of 36.9 billion yen from four analysts.

LAUNCESTON, Australia, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Prices for seaborne thermal coal have started to drop as fears of a winter energy crunch ease, but the rate of decline has varied across the different grades of the polluting fuel. That means it reflects only a small percentage of the total seaborne thermal coal market. A better reflection of Australian coal is provided by the Argus API5 assessment for 5,500 kcal/kg coal , which is bought by customers in India and other Asian nations, such as Vietnam. Russia exported 10.93 million tonnes of thermal coal via ships in October, the most since July's 11.66 million, according to data compiled by commodity consultants Kpler. Overall, the seaborne thermal coal market is showing the prices with the most exposure to Europe are declining, while those linked mainly to China are holding up.

☆ Saudi Aramco to ship full oil contract volumes to Asia in Dec
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Muyu Xu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Saudi Arabian Oil Co FollowSINGAPORE, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Saudi Aramco has told at least four refinery customers in North Asia they will receive full contract volumes of crude oil in December, several sources with knowledge of the matter said on Thursday. "(The OSP adjustment) could indicate that Saudi wants to maintain its market share in Asia in December when the price cap on Russian crude kicks in," said another source. The United States, the European Union and other G7 nations are set to impose a price cap on Russian oil on Dec. 5 in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. China, the biggest buyer of Saudi crude oil, has increased purchases from Russia to take advantage of discounts for Russian oil as western countries scaled back trade with Moscow. Saudi Aramco did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

JIP, Chubu Electric and Orix will each invest 100 billion yen, the paper said, without saying where it got the information. A Toshiba representative declined to comment, saying the company could not "answer information about candidates, including co-investors, as it may undermine fair process". Investor focus could now turn to another potential bidder, state-backed fund JIC, which sources have said is also preparing a bid. The fund has been in talks with U.S. private equity fund Bain Capital and north Asia fund MBK Partners to form a separate consortium, sources have said. Differences over JIP's plan to retain Toshiba's management were a source of friction between the two, Reuters has reported.

Last winter, the spot price peaked at $48.30 per mmBtu, in late December, before dropping to $23 by late January. What the term structure is signalling is that LNG demand may be fairly constant over the year, rather than rising and dropping with the change in seasons. LNG imports by Asia, Europe vs JKM priceFLOWS EVEN OUTCertainly, the flows data appears to be supporting the view of steady demand in both Asia and Europe. Total Asian imports were 20.61 million tonnes in October, little changed from September's 20.25 million, according to data compiled by Refinitiv. It's also worth noting that October's imports were down 6.3% from the 22 million tonnes from the same month last year.

Differences over JIP's plan to retain Toshiba CEO Taro Shimada and his team were a source of friction between the two bidders, according to two sources familiar with the talks. Despite being selected as preferred bidder, JIP has struggled to secure enough equity commitments from potential partners, sources have said. It now looks set to miss a Monday deadline to deliver a firm proposal that includes letters of commitment from banks, sources have said. In late October, JIC expanded the size of its buyout fund to 900 billion yen ($6.11 billion) from 200 billion yen. Two of the sources said the expansion was not just for a Toshiba buyout but also aimed at other deals.

☆ Take Five: No time to COP out
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Meanwhile, China will release a deluge of data as markets try to read the runes on how Beijing might shape its COVID policy in future. Investors will once again be looking for signs that price pressures are slowing after a barrage of rate hikes. Australia's central bank has already slowed the pace of its rate hikes and delivered a mere 25 bps hike on Tuesday. Data and central bank comments in days ahead will remain under scrutiny. The much-hoped for dovish pivot remains elusive and battered world markets may have to settle for more but less for now.

☆ Asia-Pacific travel recovery will 'boom' as North Asia reopens, travel association CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailAsia-Pacific travel recovery will 'boom' as North Asia reopens, travel association CEO saysLiz Ortiguera of Pacific Asia Travel Association says that Asia-Pacific was viewed as the "engine for growth" in travel before the pandemic, and that she's "confident we'll return again."

☆ Factbox: North Asia gears up for peak winter energy demand season
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nov 3 (Reuters) - Key North Asian economies are stockpiling fuel, diversifying sources and conserving power to ensure adequate supplies for winter, as an unprecedented global energy crisis makes spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) purchases costly. * City gas providers held 2.54 million tonnes at end-August, ministry data shows, versus 1.97 million tonnes a year earlier and also above a five-year average. * South Korea's LNG stocks stood near 3.9 million tonnes at end-September, a source with knowledge of the matter said. * Households and businesses are being encouraged to reduce energy consumption through incentives like tax cuts, though details have not been announced. CHINA* China is expected to stay clear of spot LNG purchases this winter due to higher prices and slow demand growth amid COVID-19 curbs.

"If LNG from Russia is disrupted, we will need to negotiate to take alternatives from other suppliers," Hirofumi Sato added. Meanwhile, China is expected to steer clear of spot LNG this winter amid higher prices and low demand growth due to COVID-19 curbs. This pushed Asian spot LNG prices to record levels, though they have since eased amid solid inventory levels. Asia LNG prices rise above seasonal levels for most of 2022 as supplies tighten after Russia cuts gas supply to EuropeBut supply risks persist. "Supply side risks remain with Freeport LNG still undergoing maintenance in the U.S. and Nigeria LNG under force majeure."

[1/2] People buy food at stalls promoting China's digital yuan, or e-CNY, during the 2022 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, China September 1, 2022. REUTERS/Tingshu WangHONG KONG/SHANGHAI, Oct 27 (Reuters) - China's digital yuan took the centre stage in the world's largest cross-border central bank digital currency (CBDC) trial to date, a report showed, pointing to how Beijing is speeding up yuan globalization efforts amid rising geopolitical tensions. China's digital currency, or e-CNY, was the most issued, and actively transacted token in the $22 million pilot that used CBDCs to settle cross-border trades, a Bank of International Settlement (BIS) report showed. The PBOC's participation in m-Bridge represents its ambition to eventually promote global, wholesale use of the e-CNY. But China's yuan internationalisation, digital or not, faces challenges amid a slowing economy ravaged by COVID flare-ups, and a property debt crisis.

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