Asian Markets
April 30, 2025
China Waives Ethane Tariffs
China removes 125% tariff on U.S. ethane imports – Reuters
EditorLouis Juricic
Published 29/04/2025, 15:20
China removes 125% tariff on U.S. ethane imports – Reuters
© Pavlo Gonchar / SOPA Images/Sipa via Reuters Connect
Investing.com — China has recently eliminated the 125% tariff on ethane imports from the United States, according to Reuters, citing two informed sources. The tariff, which was imposed earlier this month, has now been waived, providing relief for Chinese firms importing U.S. ethane for petrochemical production. This decision will also create a market for the natural gas liquid, a byproduct of U.S. shale gas production.
Chinese companies that import ethane include Satellite Chemical, SP Chemicals, Sinopec (OTC:SHIIY), Sanjiang Fine Chemical, and Wanhua Chemical Group. The primary U.S. exporters are Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE:EPD) and Energy Transfer (NYSE:ET). According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, China purchases nearly half of all U.S. ethane exports.
Earlier this month, China had escalated its tariffs on imports of U.S. goods, including ethane, to 125%. This was a response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to target the world’s second-largest economy with higher duties.
In recent days, however, the tariff on ethane was waived.
April 28, 2025
More Details on Wanhua & PIC JV
Wanhua Chemical & PIC Sign JV Agreement
PUdaily | Updated: April 28, 2025
Wanhua Chemical Group Co., Ltd. and Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC) Sign Joint Venture Agreement
On April 25th, at the headquarters of Wanhua Chemical Group in Yantai City, Shandong Province, Wanhua Chemical Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Wanhua Chemical”) and Petrochemical Industries Company (herein referred to as “PIC”, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation “KPC”) officially signed a joint venture agreement, with PIC investing $638 million to subscribe to a 25% of the shares of Wanhua Chemical’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Wanhua Chemical (Yantai) Petrochemical Co., Ltd.
Before the signing of the agreement, PIC had successfully completed the bidding process on April 22nd, 2025, at the Shandong United Property Rights Trading Center.
The signing of this agreement marks an important milestone in the many years of cooperation between Wanhua Chemical and PIC, signifying the entry into a new phase of strategic cooperation between the two parties, and also reflecting their joint commitment to promoting the development of the global petrochemical industry.
In the presence of Chairman of Wanhua Chemical Group, Liao Zengtai, and Deputy Chairman and CEO of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, Shaikh Nawaf Al Sabah, President of Wanhua Chemical Group, Kou Guangwu, and CEO of PIC, Nadia Al Hajji, officially signed the joint venture agreement.
Regarding this joint venture between Wanhua Chemical and PIC, President Kou Guangwu of Wanhua Chemical Group said: Since leading Wanhua’s business team to visit Kuwait Petroleum for the first time in 2013, we have been the first to sign a long-term LPG supply agreement with Kuwait Petroleum, becoming the first enterprise in China to directly participate in the allocation of Middle Eastern LPG resources, creating an energy artery connecting the Persian Gulf and the Bohai Sea. These direct cooperations have not only ensured the stable operation of Wanhua Yantai’s petrochemical facilities but also laid a solid foundation for Wanhua Chemical to become the first Chinese enterprise with the right to recommend CP prices. Today, the signing of the joint venture agreement between Wanhua Chemical and PIC is not only a comprehensive upgrade of past cooperation but also another model of Sino-Ku cooperation. We look forward to using this joint venture as a new starting point, continue to expand the field of joint cooperation, share missions, lead changes, and accelerate the pace of “oil transformation”, promote the petrochemical industry’s transition from “high carbon manufacturing” to “low carbon recycling”, promote the deep integration of the “Belt and Road” initiative with the “Kuwait 2035 National Vision”, and create a new situation for joint development.
CEO of PIC, Nadia Al Hajji, said: The joint venture is of great significance and far-reaching implications. She emphasized the strategic importance of the project, noting that it will not only create value through the joint petrochemical assets but also promote mutual development and innovation between the two parties. The joint venture between PIC and Wanhua Chemical reflects the common vision, high trust, and consistency in promoting innovation, development, and creating long-term value between the two parties. Nadia Al Hajji expressed her sincere gratitude and affirmed that this cooperation will be the cornerstone for PIC’s continued development in Asia and broader regions. “I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has worked hard to make this cooperative relationship a reality. From the teams working tirelessly behind the scenes to the leaders who support this vision – it is your dedication that has made this proud moment possible.”
Shaikh Khaled Al Sabah, Director and General Manager of International Marketing at Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, expressed his gratitude to all the leaders, employees of Wanhua, and relevant personnel of Kuwait for their efforts in facilitating the good cooperation between PIC and Wanhua! He emphasized the long-standing cooperative relationship between Kuwait Petroleum and Wanhua Chemical, which began with long-term supply agreements years ago, laying a solid foundation of trust, responsibility, and mutual respect between the two companies, and looking forward to further deepening exchanges and strengthening cooperation to achieve mutual benefit and win-win, and continuously achieve new and greater achievements. “I would like to take this opportunity to wish PIC and Wanhua Chemical all the best on this journey together.”
Shaikh Nawaf Al Sabah, Deputy Chairman and CEO of KPC, made a concluding speech on behalf of KPC: Congratulations on the successful signing. He mentioned that Kuwait’s diplomatic relations with China are long-standing, and that Kuwait is one of the first supporters of China’s “Belt and Road” initiative. In the future, Kuwait will continue to be a good friend of China. He emphasized that the agreement signed between PIC and Wanhua Chemical is of milestone significance, marking the largest petrochemical investment by Kuwait in China, and also an important milestone in the long-standing friendly relations between the two countries. He said that this joint venture, based on the traditional supply relationship, demonstrates KPC’s determination to transform the traditional supply relationship into a strategic cooperative relationship oriented towards value creation. “Today marks another step in our strategy to transform our carbon hydrogen compound supply relationship into a long-term partnership. In this sense, the cooperation between PIC and Wanhua Chemical on the Yantai Petrochemical PDH integrated project reflects the common vision of both parties in terms of industrial development, value creation, and long-term cooperation.”
Chairman of Wanhua Chemical Group, Liao Zengtai, on behalf of Wanhua Chemical, made a concluding speech: He highly praised the friendship between Wanhua Chemical and KPC, the highly compatible development concepts of both parties, the deepening mutual trust, and the continuously expanding scale of cooperation are the solid foundation for the historical cooperation and future joint development. The signing of this joint venture agreement marks the entry into a new era of friendly relations between the two parties, and in the future, both parties will fully leverage their respective industrial advantages and resource endowments to achieve complementary advantages on a larger scale, broader fields, and deeper levels, helping both parties’ cooperation to reach new heights. He believes that with the joint efforts of Wanhua Chemical and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC), this cooperation will definitely yield fruitful results, contributing to the construction of a world-leading high-end chemical new material industry base in the southern coast of the Bohai Sea, and providing greater strength to Yantai in building a central city in the Bohai Rim.
The signing ceremony was presided over by Chen Yifeng, Senior Vice President and Chairman of Wanhua Chemical (Yantai) Petrochemical Co., Ltd., and was attended by Feras Al Awad, Deputy CEO of PIC’s Projects and Business Development, Li Min, Vice President of Wanhua Chemical, and other senior leaders and project team members from both sides.
This joint venture between Wanhua Chemical and PIC will help improve the internationalization level of the Bohai Sea coast, the business environment for foreign merchants in China, attract more high-quality foreign capital, promote the coordinated development of the chemical and petroleum industries to new heights, promote economic development, and lead the new trend of petrochemical industry development!
Source: Wanhua Chemical
April 8, 2025
Wanhua HDI & H12MDI Expansion Slated
April 2, 2025
Liberation Day – Reciprocal Tariffs
“Well we have some very, very good news today,” Trump began his address exclaiming that “This is Liberation Day.”
“April 2, 2025, will forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn, the day America’s destiny was reclaimed and the day that we began to make America wealthy again,” Trump says.
Mexico and Canada are not on the list as US will continue to exempt USMCA-compliant goods.
“For decades, our country has been looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by nations near and far, both friend and foe alike. American steel workers, auto workers, farmers and skilled craftsmen — we have a lot of them here with us today. They really suffered gravely.”
“In a few moments, I will sign a historic Executive Order, reciprocal tariffs on countries throughout the world. Reciprocal. That means they do it to us and we do it to them. Very simple. Can’t get any simpler than that.”
Trump lays out his theory that tariffs will bring back a “golden age” for the US, a phrase he also used in his inaugural address:
“Jobs and factories will come roaring back into our country, and you see it happening already. We will supercharge our domestic industrial base.”
Trump says the reciprocal tariffs will bring “stronger competition and lower prices for consumers” in the US.
Finally, Trump announces his tariff plan details as a “Declaration Of Economic Independence”
The bottom line is that this is targeted reciprocal tariffs, NOT a broad-based 15% or more tariff slap on all products.
Additionally, Trump confirmed that the new reciprocal tariffs will begin at midnight tonight.
However, they did announce a baseline tariff rate of 10% for all countries (below the 15% consensus and 20% worst case) and Trump confirmed the 25% tariff on all auto imports.
Additionally, Trump said they will not be full reciprocal tariffs, then held a chart up showing the individual nation (trade-weighted average) tariff levels:
Full List of Countries Hit With Reciprocal Tariffs:
For a deeper dive, see: https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/trumps-liberation-day-live-blog-all-you-need-know
February 26, 2025
Bismuth Catalyst Disruption Ahead
China Announces Export Controls on Five Critical Minerals
Proactive intelligence Alert
February 12, 2025
On February 4, 2025, China announced it would restrict exports of five critical minerals: tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, indium, and molybdenum. Industries dependent on these metals, including defense, renewable energy, electronics, and manufacturing, may experience supply chain disruptions, including delays, price increases, and supply bottlenecks, due to China’s leading role in their production.
 | Tungsten | Artillery shells, armor plating, cutting tools, engine parts, airplane balancing weights. |
 | Tellurium | Solar panels, thermoelectric devices, infrared optics, steel alloys, and rechargeable batteries. |
 | Bismuth | Medical treatments, lead-free solder, cosmetics, flame retardants, and ammunition. |
 | Indium | Phone screens, TV displays, fiber-optic technology, semiconductors, and solar panels. |
 | Molybdenum | Missile components, nuclear reactors, steel alloys, lubricants, and high-temperature electronics. |
Background
China’s new export controls require licenses to export 20 tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, indium and molybdenum-related products to “safeguard national security interests.” China is the global leader of the rare earths industry overall, dominating about 69% of the world’s production and 90% of the world’s mining. China is the top producer of all five recently restricted metals.
China’s Production of Impacted Minerals
Source: Bloomberg
In recent years, China restricted the exports of several other critical minerals. In July 2023, China announced export restrictions on certain gallium and germanium products, metals essential in chip manufacturing, citing national security concerns. Following the announcement, prices for gallium and germanium surged, with gallium prices increasing by nearly 20% in the United States and Europe.
In August 2024, China announced restrictions on antimony, a metal used in defense technology. From August 2024 to December 2024, antimony shipments from China to the United States dropped 97% while prices rose 200%. In December 2024, China banned the export of gallium, germanium, and antimony to the United States entirely.
The scope of China’s export restrictions on the five minerals also includes a ban on the technology to process and refine the materials for their critical uses. This factor pressures rival economies to develop independent supply chains and creates short-term bottlenecks that could disrupt industries relying on these materials.
Exiger Insights
Although China’s recent restrictions do not single out exports to any particular country, the announcement followed the United States’ recent imposition of a 10% tariff on Chinese imports. It is not clear whether U.S. imports of the impacted minerals will qualify for licenses given China’s national security concerns and the minerals’ heavy use in U.S. defense and technology.
Anticipated Disruptions
Stakeholders should prepare for:
- Supply delays: The new licensing requirements may slow down the export process, leading to delays in receiving essential materials.
- Material shortages: Given China’s substantial share in the production of these metals, global shortages are possible until alternative sources are identified.
- Increased costs: Supply constraints may drive up prices for these metals, affecting production costs across impacted industries.
Recommendations
Stakeholders are advised to:
- Assess supply chain exposure: Identify dependencies on the restricted metals and evaluate the potential impact on operations.
- Explore alternative suppliers: Investigate other global sources for these metals or suitable substitutes to diversify supply chains.
- Communicate with customers: Proactively inform clients about potential delays or changes in product availability and manage expectations accordingly.
https://www.exiger.com/perspectives/critical-minerals-export-controls
China export curbs push European bismuth prices to highest since 2008
By Anushree Ashish Mukherjee and Ashitha Shivaprasad
February 21, 20254:39 AM ESTUpdated 5 days ago
- Summary
- China produced more than 80% of world’s bismuth last year – USGS
- Alternative producers include Korea, Japan and Laos
Feb 21 (Reuters) – Bismuth prices in Europe have soared to their highest in nearly 17 years after China’s plan to impose export curbs raised fears of curtailed supply for the metal used in medication, cosmetics and atomic research.
Earlier this month, China said it would implement export controls on five critical metals — tungsten, tellurium, molybdenum, bismuth, and indium — in retaliation to new tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
From $6 per lb previously, bismuth prices have surged to between $12 and $18 in the European spot market this week, the highest level since May 2008.
Traders expect to see higher bismuth prices.
China produced roughly 13,000 tons, or over 80% of the world’s supply, of bismuth last year, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
The rest comes from countries, including Japan, South Korea and Laos. However, traders say the availability from other nations was limited compared to China.
“We have received many inquiries from both our EU and our U.S. customers,” a trader based in Europe said, adding that U.S. consumers would be more vulnerable if the China-U.S. trade war escalates.
The U.S. has been heavily reliant on imports since it stopped production of primary refined bismuth in 1997, according to the USGS.
If the U.S. was completely cut off from Chinese bismuth supplies, production outside China would have to grow by 22% to meet demand, said Jost Wubbeke, Managing Partner at Sinolytics.
“It is hard to find cheap and stable alternative supplies, especially when everyone’s trying to find new sources at the same time.”
As trade tensions escalate, China is expected to further leverage its dominance in critical minerals to retaliate.
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