Author Archive

Trends of Import and Export of Coal by China and its Influence on Asian Market

Abstract China exported over 90 million tons of coal in 2001 to play an important role as supplier of coal to Asian coal markets, especially the East Asian region. However, China’s coal exports have decreased every year since 2004, whereas its imports have risen, reflecting a tightening of its domestic supply and demand due to a sharp increase in domestic consumption since 2003. This decrease in export and increase in import remarkably influenced the supply and demand of coal in the Asian coal markets and became one of the factors for the price rise in 2007 and after. This report traces China’s exports and imports of coal and the influence it has exerted on Asian coal markets and forecasts future trends in China’s exports and imports in order to assess the resulting impact on Asian markets
Date 2008
Author Sagawa, Atsuo
Publisher Institute of Energy Economics
Link http://www.eaber.org/sites/default/files/documents/IEEJ_Sagawa_2008.pdf
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2 Coal, 2.2 Domestic Consumption and International Commerce

The World’s Greatest Coal Arbitrage: China’s Coal Import Behavior and Implications for the Global Coal Market

Abstract In 2009 the global coal market witnessed one of the most dramatic realignments it has ever seen – China, long a net exporter of coal, suddenly imported a record-smashing 126 Mt tons (103 Mt net). This inversion of China’s role in global coal markets meant that Chinese imports accounted for nearly 15% of all globally traded coal, and China became the focal point of global demand as traditional import markets like Europe and Japan stagnated in the wake of the financial crisis.  The middle kingdom’s appetite for imported coal seems insatiable, and the “China Factor” appears to have ushered in a new paradigm for the global coal market. But China doesn’t “need” the coal.  The world’s largest coal producer cranked out 2.96 Bt of production in 2009, backed up by 114.5 Bt of reserves.  While the world’s other fastest growing importer, India, is plagued by a growing gap between coal supply and power demand that it is unable to fill domestically, this is not the case in China.  The spike in Chinese demand for imported coal is therefore a more complex (and less easily predictable) phenomenon that requires careful examination if the world is to understand what impact China might have on global energy markets in the coming decade. In this paper Richard Morse and Gang He devise a model that explains Chinese coal import patterns and that can allow the coal market to understand, and to some degree predict, China’s coal import behavior.  They argue that the unique structure of the Chinese coal market creates a series of key arbitrage relationships between Chinese domestic coal markets and international coal markets that determine Chinese import patterns.
Date 2010 08
Author Dr. Huaichuan Rui
Publisher Program on Energy and Sustainable Development
Link http://iis-db.stanford.edu/pubs/22966/WP_94_Morse_He_Greatest_Coal_Arbitrage_5Aug2010.pdf
Series Working Paper 94
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2 Coal, 2.2 Domestic Consumption and International Commerce

Understanding China’s Rising Coal Imports

Abstract Over the past decade, China’s domestic coal output has more than doubled while its coal imports have increased by a factor of 60—the country’s dependence on other nations’ coal exports is growing. In 2009, the global coal market witnessed a dramatic realignment as China burst onto the scene, importing coal from as far away as Colombia and the United States. With 182 million tons (Mt) of coal sourced from overseas suppliers in 2011, China has overtaken Japan as the world’s top coal importer. Moreover, as the world’s top coal consumer, China’s imports could rise significantly again by 2015.
Date 2012 02 16
Author Kevin Jianjun Tu
Publisher Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Link http://carnegieendowment.org/files/china_coal.pdf
Series Policy Outlook
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2 Coal, 2.2 Domestic Consumption and International Commerce

China’s Botched Coal Statistics?

Abstract Considering that energy-to-GDP elasticities of most developing countries are well above one, the ability of the Chinese government to decouple its economic growth from energy consumption was impressive. While the reported GDP in China grew continuously even during the Asian Financial Crisis, China’s energy statistics declined unexpectedly between 1996 and 1999 before strongly rebounding afterward. The implied energy-to-GDP elasticities between 1996 and 2004 ranged from -0.59 to 1.19. As both the minimum and maximum values have never been witnessed since the beginning of the economic reform era, doubts were raised regarding the credibility of China’s energy statistics. Taking a closer look, one finds that the absurd “V” shape of the energy trend was primarily caused by a 17% drop in coal consumption from 1996 to 2000 and a 55% rebound between 2000 and 2004. Now, the question becomes: what happened to China’s coal statistics?
Date 2006
Author Tu, J.
Publisher
Link http://www.asianresearch.org/articles/2964.html
Series China Brief 6
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2 Coal, 2.1 General Status Reports

Coal in the Energy Supply of China

Abstract This report, prepared by the Coal Industry Advisory Board (CIAB), an advisory body to the International Energy Agency, provides an informative overview of the coal industry within the context of China’s energy economy. Descriptive rather than prescriptive, it examines the main economic, geographic and environmental issues facing the industry. The importance of China to the climate change challenge is undeniable and the issue of technology transfer to ensure higher coal-burning efficiencies both in the power and industrial sectors is an issue of common interest to China and OECD countries
Date 2000
Author
Publisher International Energy Agency
Link http://www.iea.org/ciab/papers/coalchina99.pdf
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2 Coal, 2.1 General Status Reports

The Challenges Facing the Chinese Coal Industry: Development, Transition and Globalisation

Abstract The purpose of this study is to provide a better understanding of China’s developmental strategy for the past two decades or more, based on case studies of China’s coal industry. It examines how the three parallel challenges from development, transition and globalization determine that reform must be handled cautiously, experimentally, innovatively, and in a balanced way, with the state playing a significant and irreplaceable role. This research differs from others in its discovery of the underlying answers of China’s development strategy by examining the three challenges within a single book and based on one important industry. China has succeeded by understanding that development is both paramount challenge and ultimate goal, that transition and integration with the world must be approached cautiously so as to secure, rather than radically to disturb economic development. However, the three challenges are both overwhelming and conflicting, to pursue one may cause the delay or even sacrifice of another. The best solution requires a complex mix of considerations. China’s development strategy, with both its strengths and weaknesses, has been proved practicable and effective in the difficult conditions created by both domestic and global contexts. By providing such an unbiased and comprehensive examination of China’s development strategy based on the coal industry, this book is of interest not only to those directly concerned in the coal industry but also to those keen to understand the ever expanding influence of China in the world today. 
Date 2002 10 15
Author Huaichuan Rui
Publisher University of Cambridge
Link http://pure.rhul.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/globalization-transition-and-development-in-china%2832cf3021-e132-4010-993a-bb6dae05f0c8%29.html
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2 Coal, 2.1 General Status Reports

Industrial Policy and Global Big Business Revolution: The Case of the Chinese Coal Industry

Abstract China has actively implemented an industrial policy during the last two decades. However, despite important progress, the overall result is rather disappointing. Should China continue to pursue industrial policy? Should China focus instead on developing successful globally competitive firms within the global value chain? This paper, based on an in-depth case study on the Shenhua Group, which has been deliberately built as an indigenous globally competitive coal corporation, argues that it is still possible for China to build powerful big businesses in some sectors. However, a well-designed industrial policy is necessary. 
Date 2004
Author Nolan, Peter
Publisher
Link http://pure.rhul.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/industrial-policy-and-global-big-business-revolution%28c3e65bd9-5a4a-4a30-bdae-7faaca6dc2a5%29.html
Series Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies
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2 Coal, 2.1 General Status Reports

The Role of Artisanal and Small-scale Mining in China’s Economy

Abstract The last decades have seen increased international attention paid to a number of features of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). The beneficial roles of ASM in society and the economy in many countries, however, are often overlooked, while its negative impacts dominate official press coverage and scholarly publications of the sector. Through a review of the available literature and statistics, this paper works toward building a balanced picture of the overall role of ASM in China. First, the positive and negative impacts of ASM internationally are reviewed, followed by a short review of suggested and actual international policy responses. Then an examination of the impacts and role of ASM in China is undertaken. The authors argue that the contributions of ASM outweigh its negative impacts, but the central government needs to make more effort to regulate, guide and encourage the development of ASM and to create a sound environment for its operations.
Date 2006
Author Lei Shen
Publisher The Journal of Cleaner Production 14
Link http://www.ddiglobal.org/login/Upload/The%20role%20of%20ASM%20in%20Chinas%20Economy.pdf
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2 Coal, 2.1 General Status Reports

Present State and Outlook of China’s Coal Industry

Date 2007
Author Sagawa, Atsuo
Publisher Institute of Energy Economics, Japan
Link http://eneken.ieej.or.jp/en/data/pdf/410.pdf
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2 Coal, 2.1 General Status Reports

The Coal Industry in China and Secondly India

Date 2007 01
Author Lester, Richard
Publisher Industrial Performance Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Link http://web.mit.edu/ipc/publications/pdf/07-001.pdf
Series Working Paper, MIT-ICP-07-001
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2 Coal, 2.1 General Status Reports