China's Coke export control has little influence on the steel industry in Europe and America

June 25, China Minmetals Import and Export Chamber of Commerce staff to the reporter confirmed that the minmetals Chamber of Commerce has been invited by the Ministry of Commerce to help prepare for the United States and Europe launched restrictions on the export of raw materials complaints. But as of this reporter, the Ministry of Commerce has not yet issued an official statement on the matter.　　It is not clear, therefore, whether China will agree to be consulted and is expected to resolve the issue during the consultation period, or that the WTO set up a panel of experts to make its judgment after the negotiations have been fruitless. Two days ago, the EU, the United States under the WTO dispute settlement mechanism, the request to China, accusing China of export restrictions on a range of raw materials, including tariffs, quotas and other distortions of international trade, increase the international price, so that the downstream industries in Europe and America suffered losses.　　Its listed raw materials include: yellow phosphorus, bauxite, coke, fluorine stone, magnesium, manganese, metal silicon, zinc. In this list, only Coke is not included for the first time.　　However, after China's accession to the WTO, the history of coke export trade disputes, the attitude of Europe and the United States before and after the change, so that the industry is difficult to understand.　　In December 2000, the European Union began imposing a 32.6-euro anti-dumping duty on China's coke-foundry, a sign that the EU believes that China's export of coke is too low and too numerous to be fair trade principles. It is little known that in 2004, the Chinese government, considering the trade frictions, consciously reduced the export of coke, compressed the number of export licences, the international market price rose.　　The European Union subsequently suggested that China's export licensing system had raised the price of Coke and put forward an "ultimatum" to China to repeal the system or to go to the WTO.　　China, which has just joined the WTO for less than 3 years, has made a compromise: signing a Memorandum of understanding with the European Union, pledging to change the export licensing system and promising to export to the EU in 2004 and 2005 no less than 2003 's 4.5 million tonnes. At the end of 2006, as international raw material prices began to rise gradually, the European Union industry again called for anti-dumping investigation of Chinese Coke.　　The European Commission ruled in 2008 to impose anti-dumping duties on some of China's Coke products. Turn。 Since the end of 2008, global raw material prices have plunged, China's coke prices are higher than global prices, exports month by year, reducing by as much as 90%, exports to Europe and the United States almost stagnant.　　At this point, the European Union, the United States, filed a complaint with the WTO that China should export more coke than it has consistently demanded in the previous 8 years. China Coking Industry Association president Huang Jingan experienced these ups and downs. "The problem with Coke exports now is that the steel production in Europe and America is sluggish and there is no demand at all, not that the Chinese Government's tariffs are too high." "He accepted this reporter's telephone interview, said:" And China's Coke exports now to Europe and the United States and the impact of steel production is very small, Europe and the United States is looking for excuses. "The European and American practices may be a temptation to the Chinese government. An international trade expert told this reporter: "Because there has been a precedent that the Chinese government is often unwilling to ' beat the officialDivision ', may meet the European and American requirements. If the US and Europe win, then there may be more rare metals will be included in the list of negotiations between the two sides. "China's restrictions are not just for export" 21st Century: Europe and the US say China's export quotas and tariffs distort trade, making China export too little coke.　　Do you think that's a reasonable statement?　　Huang Jingan: First of all, I understand the WTO's basic principle is that countries can not set barriers to imports, the export policy on raw materials is not specified. Second, our government (the measure is) in order to protect the environment, the control of "two high capital" that is, highly polluting, high energy consumption, resource-oriented industry capacity, our industry enterprises fully understand this.　　To be aware, China's coke production capacity is now more than 300 million tons, accounting for around 60% of the world, the resulting carbon dioxide emissions problem is very serious.　　21st Century: We note, however, that since the financial crisis, China's coke exports have fallen seriously and there have been calls for lower export tariffs within the industry, including the association's comments to the relevant government departments. Huang Jingan: From the industry's point of view, we certainly encourage enterprises to go out and open the international market 1. Our previous suggestion to the Government is that the financial crisis has a great impact on the enterprise, from the standpoint of protecting advanced productive forces, can we temporarily "put a horse" on some enterprises with advantages of technology?　　But Coke is a government-identified high consumption, high emissions industry, the Government (restrictions) attitude is very clear.　　"21st century": in other words, the Chinese government restricts exports while also restricting domestic production? Huang Jingan: So to speak, the coke industry in recent years, structural adjustment is very strong.　　2005, the Government promulgated the "Coking industry access conditions", the elimination of a batch of no production recovery, gas utilization and environmental protection facilities of the soil Coke, small machine coke, to now more than 4 years, a total of 120 million tons of production capacity eliminated.　　Even if China lets go of coke exports, Europe and the United States do not need the 21st century: If China cancels 40% of its coke export tariffs and quotas, will the volume of exports be answered? Huang Jingan: The problem of Coke export this year is mainly the decline of international market demand. I just saw the May international steel production data.　　Global steel production fell by 21% in May, down 36% from China. China's coke exports to the United States 1.1 million tons a year, to the European Union exports 40 million-50 million tons.　　Now the European and American steel production decline, the EU decline may be more than 40%, the demand for Coke naturally reduced, so they can not produce coke is not enough.　　"21st century": that is to say, the European and American steel industry is now the problem, not China's coke export control caused? Huang Jingan: Yes. Even if China now completely let go of coke exports, Europe and the United States will not be so much, because this year, the world's coke and steel production capacity is surplus, Europe and the United States their own coking will be surplus, now the world only China's situation better, China's domestic coke prices are higher than international prices. So the European Union and the United States (this appeal) are looking for aAn excuse, I don't know what their appeal is.　　21st Century: Is there any effect in the long run? Huang Jingan: The U.S. coking coal reserves no less than China, coking industry is not worse than China, they even now export coking coal, so it is impossible to have coke shortage. In fact, before the United States had more than 130 million tons of steel production, then they take into account environmental problems, only to compress to 80 million tons. Every industrialized country has this process. Globally, the global coke production capacity is about 500 million tons, while the global trade volume is only more than 30 million tonnes, which accounts for a small proportion. It can be said that even without global trade, the steel industry in major countries will not suffer too much.