Full speed ahead for China’s high-speed rail network in 2019 in bid to boost slowing economy
The state-owned China Railway Corporation plans to put a total of 6,800km of new track into service this year, a 45 per cent increase in expansion from 2018
Significant infrastructure investment by a Beijing government keen to offset the trade war with the United States
https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/2180562/full-speed-ahead-chinas-high-speed-rail-network-2019-bid-boost
Bulker players see optimism in disruption as 2020 looms
Many bulker owners and operators see positive signs as the industry prepares to meet new IMO fuel regulations before this year ends. More ships will be bound to repair yards to install scrubbers, and that draw from vessel supply could give the sector a boost. More importantly, the regulations that go into effect on 1 January 2020 will also push more ships to demolition, shipowners said in TradeWi ..
https://www.tradewindsnews.com/drycargo/1665549/bulker-players-see-optimism-in-disruption-as-2020-looms
Rapsodija u zelenom brodara, prvo u Europi pa onda preko bare. Lijep početak nove 2019.
China Back in the Market for American Soy With Trade Talks Planned
China is back in the market for U.S. soybeans after taking a holiday break, just as Washington and Beijing plan more trade discussions.
On Wednesday, Cofco Corp., China’s top food company, was asking for prices, according to four traders familiar with the process, who asked not to be identified because talks are private. The inquiries were for February and March delivery, three of the traders said. Futures rose 1.3 percent in Chicago.
There’s been talk of some purchases being made, with Chicago-based consultancy AgResource saying state-run buyers probably purchased about 1.5 million metric tons. Still, traders will be left in the dark as there won’t be an official confirmation due to the U.S. government shutdown. Cofco and state stockpiler Sinograin declined to comment.
China Back in the Market for American Soy With Trade Talks Planned
China buys more US soybeans as officials meet for trade talks in Beijing
Chinese importers made their third large soybean purchase from the United States in the last month on Monday, as officials from both countries meet this week for the first face-to-face talks since agreeing to a 90-day trade war truce on December 1, two traders with knowledge of the deals said.
Chinese state-owned firms bought at least three cargoes of US soybeans on Monday morning, or about 180,000 tonnes, the traders said.
One said the total was closer to 15 cargoes, or about 900,000 tonnes.
https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/2181106/china-buys-more-us-soybeans-officials-meet-trade-talks-beijing
BULK:BALTIC CAPESIZE-INDEKS +5,1% TIL USD 16.106/DAG
https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/shipping/010919-atlantic-supramax-dry-freight-falls-3000-d-on-severe-overtonnage
The Atlantic Supramax dry freight market tumbled Wednesday, with time-charter deals from the US Gulf Coast being finalized at $3,000-4,000/d lower than the last done levels.
“The market is in freefall,” one ship-operator source said. “It has dropped significantly since yesterday and is still dropping.”
China’s December exports unexpectedly fell 4.4 percent from a year earlier, with demand in most of its major markets weakening. Imports also saw a shock drop, falling 7.6 percent in their biggest decline since July 2016.
Analysts had expected export growth to slow to 3 percent with imports up 5 percent.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-economy-trade/chinas-exports-shrink-most-in-2-years-raising-risks-for-global-economy-idUSKCN1P8047
China’s 2018 iron ore imports fell by 1 percent from the previous year, the first annual decline since 2010, according to data from the General Administration of Customs on Monday.
Full-year iron ore imports fell to 1.064 billion tonnes in 2018 from an annual record of 1.075 billion tonnes in 2017, the data showed. The ore imports, though, still exceeded 1 billion tonnes for a third year running.
https://www.reuters.com/article/china-economy-trade-ironore-idUSL3N1ZE1BH
BULK:BALTIC DRY-INDEKSEN -4,45% TIL 1.096 POENG
Oslo (TDN Direkt): Baltic Dry-indeksen er ned 4,45 prosent til 1.096 poeng, ifølge The Baltic Exchange tirsdag.
Baltic Dry -4,45%
Capesize -6,26%
Panamax -1,19%
Handysize -2,25%
Supramax -3,83%