Tag Archives: China

A slump in the price of whole milk powder, New Zealand’s key dairy export, is likely to continue according to traders who are pricing in further declines on the NZX futures market. The price for whole milk powder dropped 13.1 percent to an average US$1,848 a tonne at the latest GlobalDairyTrade auction overnight on Wednesday as many of the monthly contracts failed …

 New Zealand export log prices were unchanged this month amid uncertainty about the outlook for China’s economy. The average wharf gate price for New Zealand A-grade logs held at $86 a tonne in July from June, according to AgriHQ’s monthly survey of exporters, forest owners and sawmillers. The AgriHQ Log Price Indicator, which measures average log prices weighted by grade, fell …

Wall Street fell, along with European equities, amid concern about the persistent fire-sale of Chinese stocks and the outlook for the Asian nation’s economy. A 5.9 percent slump in the Shanghai Composite Index Wednesday brought its plunge since June 12 to 32 percent, according to Bloomberg. “The China selloff is spooking the markets,” Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer of Solaris Group …

Synlait Milk, the Canterbury-based dairy processor, has announced a new partnership with US baby products manufacturer, Munchkin Inc, that could offer its 161 farmer suppliers a chance to earn well above the normal payout. Munchkin, a privately-held Californian company known for designing, manufacturing, and distributing innovative infant and toddler products, is planning to launch a new Grass Fed branded retail-ready …

Fonterra Cooperative Group, the world’s largest dairy exporter, sold its third dim sum bond, raising 1 billion Chinese yuan, or $230 million, with the proceeds helping fund the stake in Beingmate Baby & Child Food.  The five-year bond, which is priced in yuan but issued outside of China to tap international investors, will carry a 4 percent coupon, the Auckland-based company said. The cash …

PGG Wrightson, the rural services firm controlled by China’s Agria Corp, lifted its annual earnings outlook as second-half trading comes in ahead of expectations, but warned weak farmer confidence may weigh on future sales. The Christchurch-based company expects annual operating earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation to be between $66 million and $69 million in the year ending June 30, above …

Former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley wants New Zealand firms to take advantage of her appointment to the board of the Boao Forum, which is made up of global political and commercial leaders, to seek business opportunities in Asia. Shipley was appointed to the board last month at the forum, which is focused on setting up the ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative to …

HSBC has singled out five macro themes for 2015. With disinflationary pressure rising, we lower our GDP and inflation forecasts for 2015 and 2016. Beijing will likely step up policy easing to stabilise the economy. We also expect the pace of key reforms to accelerate Both economic activity and inflation data have been weaker than we anticipated in recent months, suggesting rising …

Nuplex Industries, the specialty chemicals manufacturer, is exploring more investment opportunities across Asia, having shifted its businesses away from the firm’s traditional markets in Australia and New Zealand.  The Auckland-based company officially opened a US$35 million plant in China’s Changshu, and is already considering expansion plans for the site, where it holds a 50-year lease. The company was caught out …

A group of New Zealand primary sector firms has opened a joint marketing office in Shanghai, completing a three-year gestation to make life easier in breaking into the world’s second biggest economy.  Primary Collaboration New Zealand officially opened its office in one of China’s major cities yesterday in what chairman Andy Borland hopes will give local firms a foothold in what’s seen as …