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Butadiene and c4s news

France government collapses with minimal impact seen in crude, chems markets

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Crude and chemical markets have had little reaction so far to developments in France. The government of President Emmanuel Macron fell after members of Parliament (MPs) voted to oust Prime Minister Michel Barnier. Barnier was appointed by Macron in September and was voted out by a combination of left- and right-wing MPs after the opposition parties objected to the budget put forth by the prime minister, according to French media reports. Macron has vowed to remain in office until his term expires in 2027 and will need to appoint a new prime minister before work on putting together a new government. European stock markets closed higher ahead of the vote as investors prepared for the no-confidence vote. Brent and WTI crude prices fell by more than a dollar, because of expectations that OPEC will extend its output cuts when it meets this week and on US government data showing a build in gasoline and distillate inventories that countered a drawdown in crude oil supplies.

04-Dec-2024

INSIGHT: US refiners to face higher oil, catalyst costs with Trump's tariffs

HOUSTON (ICIS)–The tariffs proposed by President-Elect Donald Trump on imports from Mexico, Canada and China would raise costs for the heavier grades of oil needed by US refineries as well as rare-earth elements used to make catalysts for downstream refining units. Trump said he intends to issue an executive order that would impose tariffs of 25% on imports from Mexico and Canada on January 20, his first day of office. He also announced intentions to impose a tariff of 10% on imports from China. This would be on top of the existing duties that the US already imposes on Chinese imports. Trump could decide to modify or even withdraw the proposals – especially if the US can reach a deal that addresses illegal immigration and drugs, the impetus behind the proposed tariffs. However, the tariffs as they are proposed by Trump would raise costs for key inputs used by US refiners. Outside of fuels, it could rise costs for fluoromaterials, since Mexico is the source of most of the imported feedstock. US REFINERIES DESIGNED FOR IMPORTS OF HEAVIER CRUDESUS refineries are generally designed to process grades of crude that are heavier than the oil it produces domestically from shale, said Michael Connolly, principal refining analyst for ICIS. As a result, the US exports its surplus of light oil and imports the heavier grades needed by its refineries. Those imports help fill out refining units that process heavier crude fractions, such as hydrocrackers, cokers, base oil units and fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) units, Connolly said. In 2023, the majority of those imports came from Canada and Mexico, as shown in the following table showing the top five sources of foreign crude. Figures are listed in thousands of barrels/day. COUNTRY IMPORTS % Canada 3,885 59.9 Mexico 733 11.3 Saudi Arabia 349 5.4 Iraq 213 3.3 Colombia 202 3.1 Total US imports 6,489 100 Source: Energy Information Administration (EIA) "If this tariff was to apply to crude, it would be damaging to the US refining industry and thus the US economy," Connolly said. The damage would stem from the nation's position as the world's largest exporter of refined products. In 2023, the US was the world's largest exporter of gasoline, with shipments of 900,000 bbl/day, according to the EIA. More than 500,000 bbl/day of those exports went to Mexico. The US is also a major exporter of distillate fuel oil, with shipments reaching 1.12 million bbl/day in 2023, according to the EIA. For petrochemicals, FCC units are important sources of propylene, so tariffs could have an effect on margins for propylene derivatives. FCC operations could receive another blow from the additional tariffs that the US could impose on imports of rare-earth materials from China. RARE EARTHS AND FCC CATALYSTSFCC catalysts are made with lanthanum and cerium. For most categories, China was the main source of these rare earths in 2023, as shown in the following table. Figures are in kilograms. HTS Code Product Imports from China Total imports  % 2846.10.0050 Cerium compounds other than cerium oxides 1,121,069 1,958,581 57.2 2846.90.2005 Rare-earth oxides except cerium oxides containing lanthanum as the predominant metal 52,045 479,885 10.8 2805.30.0005 Lanthanum, not intermixed or interalloyed 144,182 144,242 100.0 2846.90.8070 Mixtures of rare-earth carbonates containing lanthanum as the predominant metal 102,423 119,626 85.6 2805.30.0010 Cerium, not intermixed or interalloyed 3,262 3,466 94.1 Source: US International Trade Commission (ITC) Lanthanum and cerium are byproducts of the production of neodymium and dysprosium, two rare earth materials that are used to make magnets. TARIFFS ON MEXICAN HYDROFLUORIC ACIDIf the tariffs go through, they could raise costs for US producers of fluoromaterials. Hydrofluoric acid is the feedstock for almost all fluorochemicals and fluoropolymers, and Mexico accounted for nearly all of the 87 million kg of acid that the US imported in 2023, according to the ITC. Fluorochemicals are used to make refrigerants as well as blowing agents used to make polyurethane foams. Another fluorochemical, lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6), is used as an electrolyte in lithium-ion batteries. For fluoropolymers, demand is growing because of their use in semiconductor fabrication plants (fabs), 5G telecommunication equipment and membranes used in fuel cells and green-hydrogen electrolysers. Hydrofluoric acid is also used as a catalyst in many alkylation units at refineries. Insight article by Al Greenwood Thumbnail shows a pump used to dispense fuel produced from refineries. Image by Shutterstock. (recast and adds "nearly", paragraph 17)

27-Nov-2024

PODCAST: Middle East liquids-to-chemicals will add to global oversupply

BARCELONA (ICIS)–Two liquids-to-chemicals project announcements by Saudi Aramco highlight a new source of rapid capacity growth which will add to global overcapacity. Middle East oil and gas companies want to push crude-oil-to-chemicals (COTC) as demand for transport fuels declines Saudi Aramco aims to convert around 4 million barrels/day of crude oil into chemicals by 2030 versus about 1 million barrels/day currently Demand growth will not be sufficient to meet rising supply More closures will be needed to balance the market In this Think Tank podcast, Will Beacham interviews ICIS market development executive John Richardson and Paul Hodges, chairman of New Normal Consulting. Editor’s note: This podcast is an opinion piece. The views expressed are those of the presenter and interviewees, and do not necessarily represent those of ICIS. ICIS is organising regular updates to help the industry understand current market trends. Register here . Read the latest issue of ICIS Chemical Business. Read Paul Hodges and John Richardson's ICIS blogs.

26-Nov-2024

Europe top stories: weekly summary

LONDON (ICIS)–Here are some of the top stories from ICIS Europe for the week ended 15 November. Europe PET hit by multiple factors pulling market in different directions Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sources in Europe are faced with a plethora of circumstances trying to shape the market, which in the end may result in a degree of stability. Crude markets face substantial 2025 surplus as China demand falters – IEA Global crude supply growth is likely to outstrip demand by over a million barrels/day in 2025, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Thursday, with the “marked” slowdown in China consumption the main drag on consumption this year. INSIGHT: European cracker shutdowns could open market to US ethylene exports European ethylene producers could be planning more cracker shutdowns, with the lost capacity being replaced by imports from the US. Shell wins appeal in Dutch emissions caseThe Netherlands court ruling mandating that Shell cut its total carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 has been thrown out, the oil and gas major said on Tuesday. Europe PE, PP adapt value proposition in face of evolving market European polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) are evolving as the world they occupy steadily changes.

18-Nov-2024

S-Oil's Shaheen project in South Korea 42% complete

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–South Korean refiner S-Oil's new petrochemical complex in Ulsan is now 42% complete as of end-October and is on track for completion in 2026. Shaheen accounts for about 87% of full-year 2024 capex Project progress slightly ahead of schedule S-Oil swung to Q3 net loss on poor refining, petrochemical margins Construction of the $7bn project called Shaheen – Arabic word for falcon – at the Onsan Industrial Complex of Ulsan City started in March 2023. Its mechanical completion is targeted by the first half of 2026. Total capital expenditure (capex) for the Shaheen project is projected at W2,716 billion ($1.95 billion) in 2024, up 85% year on year, and accounts for about 87% of S-Oil's overall capex this year. The company’s full-year capex at W3,136 billion, which includes costs of upgrade and maintenance works as well as marketing-related expenses, represents a 54% increase from 2023 levels. The Shaheen project will have a 1.8m tonne/year mixed-feed cracking facility; an 880,000 tonne/year linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) unit; and a 440,000 tonne/year high density polyethylene (HDPE) plant. The site will have a thermal crude-to-chemical (TC2C) facility, which will convert crude directly into petrochemical feedstocks such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and naphtha, and the cracker is expected to recycle waste heat for power generation in the refinery. Saudi Aramco, the world’s biggest crude exporter, owns more than 63% of S-Oil. The project update was included in S-Oil’s presentation slides on its Q3 financial results released on 4 November. The company swung to a Q3 net loss of W206 billion amid a sharp decline in refining and petrochemical earnings. in South Korean won (W) billion Q3 2024 Q3 2023 % Change Jan-Sept 2024 Jan-Sept 2023 % Change Revenue 8,841 9,000 -1.8 27,720 25,897 7.0 Operating income -415 859 200 1,411 -85.8 Net income -206 545 -61 788 The petrochemicals unit of S-OIL posted an operating income of W5.0 billion in the third quarter, an 89% year-on-year drop. Paraxylene (PX) and benzene markets weakened in Q3 due to increased supply amid reduced gasoline blending demand and restarts of production facilities after turnarounds. The company's PX spread to naphtha weakened to $271/tonne in Q3 from $425/tonne in the same period last year, while the benzene-naphtha spread rose to $315/tonne from $251/tonne in the same period a year earlier. In the downstream olefin market, polypropylene (PP) was bearish in the third quarter due to "abundant regional supply amid weak downstream demand". The refining unit posted an operating loss of W573.7 billion in the third quarter, swinging from the W666.2 billion profit in the same period a year earlier. The loss in the refining segment was mostly due to the one-off impact from the decline in oil prices and foreign exchange rates. On market conditions, the company said that the supply-demand environment and margins for refiners in Asia is expected to "gradually improve due to reduced operating rate from low margin condition and heavier maintenances year over year, amid continued stockpiling if winter heating oil". For Q4, the company expected the PX and benzene markets to be supported by fresh demand from new downstream capacities while gasoline demand stays slow. For downstream olefin markets, S-Oil said that PP and propylene oxide (PO) markets may show modest recovery "depending on the impact of China's economic stimulus measures amid ongoing capacity additions". Focus article by Nurluqman Suratman ($1 = W1,395)

18-Nov-2024

Crude markets face substantial 2025 surplus as China demand falters – IEA

LONDON (ICIS)–Global crude supply growth is likely to outstrip demand by over a million barrels/day in 2025, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Thursday, with the “marked” slowdown in China consumption the main drag on consumption this year. Oil demand is expected to tick up modestly year on year in 2025 to just under a million barrels/day, as compared with current expectations of 920,000 barrels/day this year. Two years of sub-million-barrel daily demand growth “reflects below-par global economic conditions with the post-pandemic release of pent-up demand now complete”, the agency said in its latest monthly oil market report. A substantial headwind for stronger market consumption is China, where demand contracted for the sixth consecutive month in September, bringing third-quarter averages 270,000 barrels/day below the same period in 2023. The IEA projects global supply growth of 1.5 million barrels/day from non-OPEC+ countries next year, driven by the US, Canada, Guyana and Argentina. Brazil is also expected to return as a force in the market after a year of unplanned outages and operational underperformance in 2024, the IEA added. The OPEC+ bloc of countries has long planned to relax production cuts, but the start of this process has been postponed once more, with producers now pledging to begin unwinding voluntary reductions from January. OPEC+ players currently have around 6.19 million barrels/day of spare capacity, according to the agency, excluding Russia, with more than half of those potential volumes from Saudi oilfields. After a period of substantial volatility driven by fears of an escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran, crude values have subsided from upwards of $80/barrel to the low $70s. Focus has shifted instead to China demand, expectations for Libya to resume production and the timeline for OPEC+ to start easing production cuts. “China’s marked slowdown has been the main drag on demand, with its growth this year expected to average just a tenth of the 1.4 million barrels/day increase in 2023,” the agency said. The prospect of a million barrel/day surplus does not take into account any move in OPEC+ production levels, the IEA said. “With supply risks omnipresent, a looser balance would provide some much-needed stability to a market upended by the Covid pandemic, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and, most recently, heightened unrest in the Middle East,” the agency added. Thumbnail photo: An oil pipeline running through Alaska, US (Source: JacobBoomsma/Shutterstock)

14-Nov-2024

Shell Singapore site divestment deal to be completed in Q1 2025

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–Shell expects the deal to sell its energy and chemicals park in Singapore to Chandra Asri and Glencore will be completed by the first quarter of 2025, a company spokesperson said on Thursday. Shell assets will be key to Chandra Asri’s growth strategy Chandra Asri plans for second petrochemical complex still unclear Closing of deal originally scheduled for end-2024 The energy major on 8 May announced the sale, which includes the physical assets and commercial contracts in Singapore, to CAPGC – a joint venture majority-owned by Chandra Asri with Glencore holding a minority stake – for an undisclosed fee. The transaction was initially scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024. “The divestment is subject to regulatory clearance and other customary closing conditions,” the spokesperson said. “Subject to regulatory approval, the transaction is expected to complete by the first quarter of next year.” Shell and CAPGC have also signed crude supply and product offtake agreements that will come into effect following completion. A new entity under CAPGC called Aster Chemicals and Energy will operate the facilities and handle its crude oil purchases and fuel sales, newswire agency Reuters said in a 13 November report, citing unnamed sources. The Shell Energy and Chemicals Park (SECP) in Singapore comprises its integrated refining and chemicals assets on Pulau Bukom and Jurong Island. The Pulau Bukom assets include a 237,000 barrel/day refinery and a 1.1 million tonne/year ethylene cracker. It was Singapore’s first refinery in 1961. SECP KEY TO CHANDRA ASRI'S GROWTH PLANSChandra Asri in a 4 October statement said that its move to acquire the SECP assets aligns with its growth strategy of “going global” as it seeks to expand in the energy, chemical and infrastructure sector not only in Indonesia but also abroad. “Through SECP, which is one of the largest oil refineries and trading hubs in the world, Chandra Asri Group will source petroleum products, including gasoline, jet fuel, gas oil, and bitumen to support various industries in Indonesia,” the company said. “Additionally, Chandra Asri Group will help fill gaps in the supply of chemical products, such as monoethylene glycol (MEG), polyols, and ethylene, propylene, and styrene monomers, to support manufacturing processes in the country,” it said. “This will ensure that the country’s energy supply is secured as well as reducing dependencies on foreign entities.” In a presentation to investors in early August, Chandra Asri said that it will establish offtake agreements for both fuel and chemical products, utilizing Glencore's extensive trading network to “secure beneficial arrangements”. Chandra Asri currently operates Indonesia's sole naphtha cracker in Cilegon, which can produce 900,000 tonnes/year of ethylene and 490,000 tonnes/year of propylene. The new assets in Singapore will boost Chandra Asri’s overall production capacity from around 4.2 million tonnes/year currently to more than 18 million tonnes/year by 2026. The company is also the sole domestic producer of styrene monomer, ethylene, butadiene (BD), MTBE, and butene-1, with a new world-scale chlor-alkali ethylene dichloride (EDC) plant development on the horizon. The company’s planned second petrochemical complex, dubbed CAP2, in Cilegon includes a chlor-alkali plant that is expected to produce 420,000 tonnes/year of caustic soda and 500,000 tonnes/year of EDC. The chlor-alkali plant is expected to be completed by the end of 2026 but Chandra Asri has not yet provided a firm timeline of the other proposed plants previously announced for CAP2. Focus article by Nurluqman Suratman Thumbnail image: Chandra Asri’s olefins plant in Cilegon, Banten province (Source: Chandra Asri official website)

14-Nov-2024

Fire at Indian Oil’s Mathura refinery injures eight people

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–Eight people were injured at a fire that broke out at Indian Oil Corp’s (IOC) Mathura refinery in the northern Uttar Pradesh state on the evening of 12 November, the energy company said in a statement. The blaze erupted at about 07:00 GMT (01:30 GMT) on 12 November during start-up of a crude distillation unit (CDU) at the site after a planned maintenance, it said. Located along the Delhi-Agra National Highway about 154 kilometers away from Delhi, the Mathura refinery has a capacity of 8 million tonnes/year. “Three of the injured have been admitted to Apollo Hospital, Delhi, while the others are receiving medical care locally,” IOC said. “All injured individuals are stable, and their recovery is being closely monitored,” it added. The blaze was extinguished with no disruption to refinery operations, it said. “The plant and machinery have not suffered any damage, and refinery activities are continuing as usual,” IOC said. The Mathura refinery incident happened a day after a fire hit IOC’s Gujarat refinery in western India on 11 November and killed two people.

14-Nov-2024

Trump to bring limited tariffs; higher growth, rates – economists

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Under US President Donald Trump, US chemical companies will unlikely see the full-blown tariffs that he has proposed during his campaign, but they will operate under a faster growing economy with higher inflation and interest rates that will settle at an elevated rate, economists at Oxford Economics said on Monday. Oxford is forecasting what it calls a limited Trump scenario, under which his administration will not fully adopt the policies he proposed during his campaign. Tariffs will be limited, targeted and phased in, while Congress will limit growth in the government deficit by restraining some of his tax cuts and spending measures. Oxford's baseline scenario for 2025 does not change much because it is assuming that Trump will focus most of his first year in office on extending the tax cuts of his earlier administration, said Ryan Sweet, chief US economist for Oxford Economics. He made his comments during a presentation. The consultancy's forecast for 2025 GDP is a tenth of a point higher versus its estimate in October, he said. Inflation will rise by a tenth of a point in 2025. Trump is inheriting a strong economy, so there is little risk of recession. In these initial years, the biggest effect on the US economy will be tax cuts, and these should increase growth in GDP, said Bernard Yaros, lead US economist for Oxford. After 2026, Oxford assumes Trump will adopt some of his immigration restrictions, and it is expecting GDP growth to fall below its earlier forecast. Stricter immigration policies will reduce the supply of labor and slow down the consumption of goods and services. LIMITED TARIFFSOxford expects the Trump administration will not impose the widespread tariffs it proposed during its campaign, which included 60% duties on Chinese imports and baseline tariffs of 10-20% on all imports. Yaros said these campaign proposals were likely negotiating tactics. Sweet expects that Trump will require Congress to pass some of his tariffs, and legislators will not pass such high rates, Sweet said. In other cases, advisors and trade representatives will restrain Trump. For China, Trump will likely impose tariffs of 25% on major categories, such as machinery, electronics and chemicals, Yaros said. For the EU, Canada and Mexico, Trump will likely impose very targeted tariffs on steel, aluminum, base metals and motor vehicles, Yaros said. For Canada and Mexico in particular, Trump will unlikely adopt measures that will threaten the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the trade agreement that his administration signed during his first term. That trade deal was one of the signature achievements of Trump's administration, so he will not want to pursue policies that will threaten the upcoming renewal of that agreement, Yaros said. While the tariffs will be limited, they will still be a drag on the economy by nudging inflation higher, reducing real consumer income, tempering consumer spending and encouraging the misallocation of resources, Yaros said. LIMITED TARIFFS REDUCE RETALIATION RISK FOR CHEMSOxford's scenario will limit the risk of countries imposing retaliatory tariffs on US exports. US chemical producers were vulnerable to such tariffs because they purposely added capacity for export over the years, particularly for polyethylene (PE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The magnitude of these exports and the existence of a global glut in plastics and chemicals would make US chemical exports a likely target for retaliatory tariffs. On the import side, the US does have deficits in key commodity chemicals, such as benzene. Targeted tariffs could carve out exceptions for benzene was well as other chemicals in which the US has a trade deficit, such as methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) and melamine. Targeted tariffs will likely rule out duties on imports of oil. US refineries rely on imports of heavier grades of oil to optimize the operations of some of their units. US shale oil makes up nearly all of the growth in the nation's crude production, and that oil is made up of light grades. Meanwhile, tariffs could shield some chemicals from competition, such as epoxy resins. CONGRESS MAY LIMIT GROWTH IN DEFICITOxford pointed out that some moderate Republicans could restrain some of Trump's tax and spending proposals to limit growth in the government deficit, Yaros said. Other economists have expressed concerns that the US will issue larger amounts of government debt to fund the growing deficit. That would lead to a cascade effect that could ultimately increase rates for US mortgages, which would slow down the housing market and the plastics and chemicals connected to that market. Still, all of Oxford's scenarios forecast a rise in the government deficit. SLOWER RATE CUTS BY FEDOxford expects Trump's policies will be inflationary, which will prompt the Federal Reserve to slow down the pace of cuts on their benchmark federal funds rate. It expects the federal funds rate will settle at 3.125%, versus its forecast of 2.75% that was made in October. TRUMP WILL PRESERVE MOST RENEWABLE TAX CREDITSTrump will likely preserve most of the tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) because most of them benefitted states controlled by his party, the Republicans, Yaros said. These include tax credits on renewable fuels, renewable power, hydrogen and carbon capture. The exception will include incentives for electric vehicles (EV), which Trump had singled out during his campaign, Yaros said. OXFORD'S FORECASTThe following chart shows Oxford's new baseline forecast and compares it with a scenario under which the policies of the previous administration are maintained. The following chart shows Oxford's forecast that assumes Trump will fully adopt all of his campaign proposals. This is not the consultancy's baseline forecast because it does not expect such a full-blown Trump scenario will happen. Thumbnail shows the US Capitol. Image by  photo by Lucky-photographer.

11-Nov-2024

Asia petrochemical shares tumble as China stimulus disappoints

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–Shares of petrochemical companies in Asia tumbled on Monday as China’s much-awaited stimulus measures failed to impress markets, while the US is likely to put up more trade barriers against the Asian giant following the re-election of Donald Trump as president. Asian equities defy Wall Street’s 8 Nov gains; oil prices fall China Oct consumer inflation at 0.3% compared with 0.4% in Sept China central bank cuts yuan reference rate At 06:53 GMT, crude futures were down a few cents, with Brent crude down 6 cents at $73.93/barrel, and US crude down 5 cents at $70.33/barrel. At 04:00 GMT, Mitsui Chemicals was down close to 2% and Sumitomo Chemical fell by almost 2% in Tokyo, while the benchmark Nikkei 225 was down by 0.39% at 39,347.79. In Seoul, LG Chem was rangebound, with South Korea’s KOSPI Index slumping by more than 1%. In Hong Kong, PetroChina was down more than 4% as the Hang Seng Index slipped by 2.2% to 20,270.77. In Kuala Lumpur, PETRONAS Chemicals Group (PCG) slumped by nearly 5% while the stock market index dipped by 0.3%. On 8 November, US stocks rallied after Trump’s re-election as market players expect corporate tax cuts, deregulation and larger fiscal deficits under his administration starting 2025. The S&P 500 rose by 0.4% to 5,995.54 on 8 November, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up by 0.59%, and the Nasdaq Composite closed 0.10% higher. THE TARIFF ISSUE Threats of potential tariffs of 20% on all imported goods and a rate of 60% or more on Chinese are worrying investors in Asia. “The spectre of tariffs [is] likely to lead to somewhat lower global growth, higher US inflation, possibly fewer Fed[eral Reserve interest] rate cuts, stronger USD [US dollar], higher bond yields amid a general rise in geopolitical and trade tensions,” Japan-based Nomura Global Markets Research said in a note on 10 November. However, Nomura emphasized that the timing of Trump’s policy as well as tariffs are still “major unknowns”, and that milder policy action is likely to offset initial price-action. The effects of potential tariffs have already led to frontloading exports to the US in October, a trend likely to continue into H1 2025. Chinese exports in October were up nearly 13% year on year amid a rush to ship goods ahead of any trade protectionist move by the US once Trump is back in power next year. On Monday, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) adjusted down its daily reference rate at yuan (CNY) 7.1786 to the US dollar, a decline not seen since late 2023. A weaker yuan would help boost competitiveness of Chinese exports amid threats of tariffs. CHINA MEASURES FAIL TO LIFT DOWNBEAT MOOD Investor sentiment was dampened by a weaker-than-expected stimulus measures announced by China following the National People's Congress (NPC) meeting last week. The country’s top legislative body approved a bill on raising ceilings of local government debts, while allowing local governments to issue yuan (CNY) 6 trillion ($838 billion) of new bonds to swap with off-balance sheet debts, China finance minister Lan Fo’an had said on 8 November. Lackluster growth despite a stimulus package introduced in late September and a lack of further measures to encourage spending continues to weigh on sentiment. China’s consumer prices in October inched up by 0.3% year on year, slowing from the 0.4% growth in the previous month. The focus will now be on Singles’ Day, China’s equivalent of Black Friday in the US on Monday, where value-for-money purchases and online shopping will hopefully bolster overall consumption. “We suspect that given the shift toward value-for-money purchases and online shopping, we’ll continue to see solid growth numbers from the event that should comfortably outpace the overall consumption growth momentum,” Dutch-based bank ING said in a note on 7 November. Focus article by Jonathan Yee

11-Nov-2024

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