Baosteel
Group Corp., China’s largest steel producer, will pay $4.2 billion in cash
for an 80% stake in a new Guangzhou-based steel mill that will merge two rivals,
Shaoguan Iron & Steel Group and Guangzhou Iron
& Steel Group.
China is already the world’s top steel consumer and producer, churning out
one-third of the global supply. This newly formed company, Guangdong Iron &
Steel Group Corp., will boost Baosteel’s capacity by 33% to 40 million tons.
Specifically, it will help supply steel-hungry Toyota Motor Corp. (ADR: TM) and
Honda Motor Co. (ADR: HMC), both of which have plants in the city of Guangzhou.
Baosteel also wants to build a new 10 million ton-capacity mill in Zhanjiang,
Reuters reported.
Baosteel is making a fervent effort to squash local competitors and
streamline operations - now more than ever - because it’s facing skyrocketing
costs of iron ore, the key ingredient used in steel production.
The day it announced the merger, it also agreed to pay Australia-based Rio
Tinto PLC (ADR: RTP) an average of 85% more for iron ore this year, Australia’s
The Age reported. The price increase is a result of
fierce demand for iron ore, but also because Rio Tinto and Aussie rival BHP
Billiton Ltd. (ADR: BHP) have significantly lower shipping costs than Brazil-based
rival, Vale (RIO), the world’s largest iron ore exporter, which allows them
to charge a premium.
According to Bloomberg data, shipping iron ore from
Australia costs about $55 a metric ton less than from Brazil. But China doesn’t
have much of a choice, as its economy is growing at a 10% annual clip.
And that extra coin Rio Tinto and BHP have pocketed is dually driving up
global prices and testing China’s patience.
It’s also playing a huge role in Australia’s commodity-exporting industry,
which may earn 12% more than forecast for March and a record $203 billion
for the year, Bloomberg reported.
"The consistent story here is that producers haven’t been able to match the
ever-growing demand from China," Gerard Burg, an energy and minerals economist
with National Australia Bank Ltd. (OTC ADR: NABZY),
told Bloomberg. "China’s demand is still going and
still very strong."
