Latin America

China's Appetite For Commodities, A Blessing Or A Curse?
21 April 2006

INTERNATIONAL PRESS SERVICE NEWS (UNITED NATIONS)--“The relations between China and Latin America today represent a historic opportunity, given the enormous growth in Chinese demand for commodities and fuel,” professor of statistics Graciela Chichilnisky at Columbia University's Center for Risk Management told International Press Service (IPS). The Asian giant is already the biggest consumer of copper, tin, zinc, platinum, steel and iron. In 2003, it absorbed nearly 40 percent of the cement produced worldwide, 30 percent of coal and steel, and 25 percent of aluminum and copper. Source: http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=32976 (Reliability: 7)

Latin America

China’s Overtures In Latin America

18 April 2006

BROWN JOURNAL OF WORLD AFFAIRS (PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND)--Reports of China’s activities in Latin America and the Caribbean have been studded with superlatives. In the decade ending in 2003, Sino-Latin American trade increased 600 percent. The USD 40 billion in bilateral trade in 2004 surpassed that of Japan’s trade with Latin American states. There has been a proliferation in the number of Chinese language classes for Latin American children and adults and an increase in high-level visits from virtually every Latin American country to Beijing. By all accounts, China’s activities in Latin America are accelerating dramatically. Source: http://www.bjwa.org/article.php?id=
jT0no0y16E453c1d32NRl330YS9asc65GFWwhpPi (Reliability: 8)

Argentina And Brazil

China, Brazil And Argentina Seeking Soy Axis

17 April 2006

MERCOPRESS (MONTEVIDEO)--China, Brazil and Argentina are mulling the creation of a multinational market for soybeans as an alternative to the Chicago Board of Trade. The idea is being explored at a five-day seminar that got under way here Monday, organized by the Brazilian Mercantile and Futures Exchange and markets based in Rosario, Argentina, and Dalian, China. Under the current arrangement, world soy prices are set by the Chicago exchange, which, Weskamp said, does not always reflect the necessities of “our market.” He did not venture to predict how long it will take for Argentine, Brazilian and Chinese exchanges to establish a parallel soy market, noting that many interests are involved. Weskamp also pointed to questions of market access that remain to be resolved with Beijing. China currently consumes around 15 million tons of soy annually, a level of demand that is expected to double in the next few years. Source: http://www.mercopress.com/Detalle.asp?NUM=7684 (Reliability: 7)