Why You Should Not Drink Water While Standing ?

Some experts have uncovered that it is no old wives tale when the elders in the family ask you to sit down and then gulp your water. In fact, it is a gem of an advise that you had better heed to for a healthy living. To make the most of the water we drink it is advised to sit down and have it in small sips than glug it down in a rush while standing.

Here are some shocking scientific reasons that tell you the difference it makes to your body when you have your water standing as opposed to sitting down.

1. Standing and drinking water can cause arthritis

This may come as a greater shock to you if you have been in a practice of drinking water in a standing position, for you may well be affected by arthritis later in life. By drinking water standing you disrupt the balance of fluids in the body, and this often leads to a greater accumulation of fluids in the joints thus triggering arthritis.

2. Water splashes on the stomach wall when had standing

Health experts have it that by having water fast and in a standing position, you let it flow to your gut while splashing on the stomach wall. This shock from the splashing of water can cause long term damage to the digestive system as it harms the stomach wall and the gastrointestinal tract.

3. You remain thirsty when you drink water standing

Your thirst is never fully quenched when you drink water in a standing position. You feel like drinking more water very frequently. It is better to sit in a place and have smaller sips to truly quench your thirst.

4. You always suffer indigestion when you drink water standing

When you drink water sitting down your muscles and nervous system are much more relaxed and it triggers the nerves to quickly digest the fluid and with it other food items.

5. Your kidney doesn’t filter water properly when had in standing position

Drinking water in a standing position doesn’t help the filtration process of water by the kidneys. Often impurities remain in the kidneys and bladder which can lead to urinary tract disorder and even permanent damage to the kidneys.

6. Drinking water in standing position doesn’t dilute the acid levels in the body

Even Ayurveda mentions it that water must be consumed in slow, small swigs while sitting down. This helps to properly dilute the acid levels in the body by getting combined with the necessary proportion of water.

7. Drinking water by standing causes ulcers and heartburn

When you drink water in a standing position it ends up splashing the lower half of the esophagus very hard. This in return can disturb the sphincter, which is the joint between the stomach and esophagus, and as a result the esophagus experiences burning sensation because of the acids in the stomach flowing backward.

8. Your nerves are tense when you drink water standing

When you drink water standing, a ‘fight and flight system’ is activated which causes nerve tension in the body. But when you sit down and sip water, a parasympathetic system also referred to as the ‘rest and digest system’ comes into fray, this one helps to calm your senses and ease the process of digestion.

Compiled by : Dalmia V

Best Ways to Win Your Battle With Weight Loss

Balancing blood sugar and metabolism are the keys to success

If you’re struggling to lose weight, few tips to help you achieve success.

1. Don’t skip breakfast, and get at least 10 grams of protein

Eating a balanced breakfast — including protein, fat and carbs — will give you the energy you need for the day.

“If you skip breakfast, you’re starting the day on a dead battery,”. “Studies show that higher intake of protein in the morning is also essential for squashing cravings later in the day.”

Good sources of protein include eggs, plant-based protein powders, sprouted toast with natural peanut butter, and plain unsweetened yogurt with berries and hemp seeds.

Skipping meals can make your body think it is in starvation mode.

2. Eat small meals, or consider fasting

Take your pick: three meals a day with two or three snacks, five or six small meals a day, or eating every three to four hours.

Each of these approaches will keep your metabolism even — and your blood sugar levels stable.

Balance will help your body function at its best and will help you avoid weight gain. “You don’t want your blood sugar to rise and fall as if you’re on a roller coaster. That will make your energy levels fluctuate and all your body processes work less efficiently,”.

Another option to consider is fasting. Studies show that people who adhere to either an intermittent-fasting or time-restricted feeding approach have a decreased risk of disease, lower mortality and more success in losing weight.

3. Exercise moderately, and add some weights

An intense workout regimen is great if you‘re happy with your weight and are in good health. But if you’re struggling to shed pounds, a moderate exercise program will work better for you.

Walking 30 minutes on a regular basis will benefit you more than an intense 90-minute routine you can’t maintain.

“Moderate exercise is especially important if you have problems with blood sugar. An intense workout will add more stress to your body by making your blood sugar spike and then fall,”.

It’s better to set small goals and surpass them then Setting goals too high and failing.

Also, adding in at least three days of resistance training will you help increase muscle, speeding up your metabolism and making weight loss easier.

4. Eat until you’re no longer hungry, not until you’re full

When you feel full, it means you have over-fueled. “Stop giving your body calories it does not need,”. “Instead, listen to your hunger, and eat only when hungry.”

The amount of carbs, protein and healthy fat you need depends on lots of factors, including your weight loss goals, disease status, etc.

Another tactic is to start big (at breakfast) and end small, tapering off your portion sizes as the day goes on.

Omega-3 Essential fatty acid

Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids, which the body cannot make but absolutely needs for normal growth and development. People living in industrialized countries eat up to 30 times more Omega-6 fatty acids through their regular food than Omega-3 fatty acids, resulting in a relative deficiency of Omega-3 fats. Omega-6 metabolic products are formed in excessive amounts causing allergic and inflammatory disorders and make the body more prone to heart attacks, strokes and cancer. Taking Omega-3 supplements can restore the balance between the two fatty acids and can reverse these disease processes. The richest source of Omega-3 is from Deep Sea Cold Water fish, such as Salmon. Omega-3 contains two essential fatty acids : EPA (Eicosa Pentaenoic Acid) and DHA (Docosa Hexaenoic Acid).

Benefits of Omega-3

Heart disease and Stroke

Omega-3 fatty acids are good for heart. The Omega-3 supplements increase the concentrations of good Cholesterol (high density lipoproteins, HDL) while decreasing the concentrations of bad Cholesterol (triglycerides). In addition, eating Omega-3 rich food will result in a moderate decrease in total cholesterol level.

Furthermore, Omega-3 supplements also protect the heart by preventing blood clots or keeping other fats from injuring the arterial walls. They not only relax arteries, but also help to decrease constriction of arteries and thickening of blood. Omega-3 fatty acids decrease risk of heart attacks, strokes and abnormal heart rhythms.

Diabetes

Individuals with diabetes tend to have high triglyceride and low HDL levels. Omega-3 fatty acids can help lower triglycerides and apoproteins (markers of diabetes), and raise HDL, so people with diabetes may benefit from eating foods or taking supplements that contain DHA and EPA.

Arthritis

Most clinical studies investigating the use of omega-3 fatty acid supplements for inflammatory joint conditions have focused almost entirely on rheumatoid arthritis. Several articles reviewing the research in this area conclude that omega-3 fatty acid supplements reduce tenderness in joints, decrease morning stiffness, and allow for a reduction in the amount of medication needed for people with rheumatoid arthritis.

In addition, laboratory studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids may benefit people with other inflammatory disorders, such as osteoarthritis.

Brain

After the age of 40, the brain reaction slows down a little and one can get forgetful at times. However, research has now shown that lack of adequate Nutrients can accelerate this normal slowing down of the brain. The essential fatty acids (Omega-3) help keep brain cell membranes health and ensure adequate production of brain chemicals.

Depression

People who do not get enough omega-3 fatty acids or do not maintain a healthy balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids in their diet may be at an increased risk for depression. The omega-3 fatty acids are important components of nerve cell membranes. They help nerve cells communicate with each other, which is an essential step in maintaining good mental health. In particular, DHA is involved in a variety of nerve cell processes.

Eyes

Omega-3 are not just good for your eyes, but indispensable. The retina of your eyes needs the polyunsaturated Omega-3. The fluid quality that they impart to the membranes enables your retina to convert, with lightning speed, the images it receives into electrical signals to be sent to your brain. Omega-3 deficient fatty acids can result in slower-than-normal responses to visual signals.

Another condition that Omega-3 can safeguard your eyes against is Glaucoma. It’s caused by poor circulation in the arteries that feed the eyes. This put pressure on the optic nerves causing damage to the eyes. Omega-3 are a natural aid in preventing such blood vessel disorders.

Asthma

Clinical research suggests that omega-3 fatty acid supplements may decrease inflammation and improve lung function in adults with asthma. Omega-6 fatty acids have the opposite effect: they tend to increase inflammation and worsen respiratory function. Omega-3 supplements can keep the Omega-6 fats in check and decrease the inflammatory reactions associated with asthma.

Weight loss

Many individuals who are overweight suffer from poor blood sugar control, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Clinical studies suggest that overweight people who follow a weight loss program that includes exercise tend to achieve better control over their blood sugar and cholesterol levels when they take omega-3 capsules.

Female Health and Omega-3

The function of a woman’s reproductive system– menstruation, pregnancy, menopause – often place demands on her body that require extra nutritional support. The Omega-3 supplements form an important component of a woman’s sexual health.

Women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) experience a pattern of various discomforts, some of which can be quite severe. It is most likely to be severe in women who have undergone a change in their levels of estrogen and progesterone, the primary female hormones, or who are between the ages of thirty and forty-five.

Omega-3 fatty acids play an important part in rebalancing the prostaglandins. The Omega-3 discourage the production of prostaglandins that irritate nerves and tissues while encouraging the production of prostaglandins that soothe the body.

Selection of Omega-3

It is important to find the right Omega-3 for maximum benefits.

Omega-3 from Deep sea Cold water fish, Salmon is typically described as a “Long-Chain” essential fatty acids, which have the advantages of being immediately available to the body. The other sources (like canola and linseed (or flaxseed) oils, soybeans) are described as “Short Chain” fatty acids, which must be converted to long-chain by body before they can be utilised. The difference between long-chain and short-chain Omega-3s is found in the way the body processes these important nutrients. While both varieties are healthy, long-chain Omega-3s are more efficient and act faster in the body than do short-chain Omega-3s. In fact, research suggests that a person would have to consume six to ten times the amount of short-chain Omega-3s to get the health benefits of one recommended dose of long-chain Omega-3s.        

Omega-3 must have vitamin-E as anti-oxidant helping the body to “flush out” any toxins that are “floating” around.

Walking: Trim your waistline, improve your health

Walking is a great way to relieve stress and clear the mind.

*Regular brisk walking can help you*

-Maintain a healthy weight

-Prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes

-Strengthen your bones and muscles

-Improve your mood

-Improve your balance and coordination

-The faster, farther and more frequently you walk, the greater the benefits.

*Consider your technique*

-Your head is up. You're looking forward, not at the ground.

-Your neck, shoulders and back are relaxed, not stiffly upright.

-You're swinging your arms freely with a slight bend in your elbows. A little pumping with your arms is OK.

-Your stomach muscles are slightly tightened and your back is straight, not arched forward or backward.

-You're walking smoothly, rolling your foot from heel to toe.

*Warm up* Walk slowly for five to 10 minutes to warm up your muscles and prepare your body for exercise.

*Cool down* At the end of your walk, walk slowly for five to 10 minutes to help your muscles cool down.

*Stretch* After you cool down, gently stretch your muscles. If you'd rather stretch before you walk, remember to warm up first.

*Set realistic goals*

*Track your progress*

*Stay motivated*

#walk #health 

Is it the right time to scrap cash credit?

An animal called cash credit exists only in India. Traditionally India had hundi-based financing, where funds were given by money lenders to traders, against hundis drawn by them, payable on a particular date, at specified rate of interest. Later to impart purposiveness and to curb speculation, several committees in late 60's and early 70's focused on allocating credit directionally towards maintaining price stability .

The cash credit facility allows borrower's multiple debits and credits on a daily basis and helps them meet their cash flow gaps within the sanctioned limits. This generally holds true as long as all debits and credits are routed only through this account and so long as the assumptions for the working capital cycle remain unchanged. The more mature an organisation, the more accurate is the assessment of their working capital requirement. There is, however, no requirement for a clean up at the end of the tenor from the sales proceeds as the entire assessment is based not on cash flows but on asset build-up.Due to the high prevalence of cash credit in India, we have one of the longest cash-to-cash cycles.

As such, the cash credit limit is only renewed either upwards or downwards depending upon the overall turnover of the company and assumes a permanency normally associated with equity except that it is made available at debt returns and with tax shields.

As long as the going is good, this system works fine. However, in the face of any untoward situation, the current assets that are the main security for the cash credit are the first to be eroded leaving lenders unsecured.

While it is understandable that smaller and medium businesses may not have the wherewithal to efficiently manage their cash positions on a daily basis, it's not economic for banks to manage the cash or treasury operations on their behalf.

What is not understandable is the requirement for such an instrument or credit delivery mechanism for larger corporates (say which are borrowing more than Rs 500 crore) which are in a position to manage cash flows efficiently .

In effect, because of multiple deb its and credits allowed in cash credit accounts in a single day , the risk of the treasury management of larger businesses devolves on the banks, who are required to maintain the necessary liquidity , often left under-utilised. It is also possible for larger corporates to draw cash credit facilities at finer rates to capitalise on arbitrage opportunities by lending it to smaller sister corporates.

Thus, why should banks be required to maintain liquidity support for large, rated corporates?

Essentially , well rated large corporations, draw on their cash credit limits only in exigent circumstances. This leaves the banks with large under-utilised limits and opportunity costs.

The moot point is: whether the working capital assessment of large corporates, which is usually based on prospective data, is done accurately by banks? Should banks then cancel under-utilised limits or limit the same to the average utilisation of the previous financial year? Or better, should large corporates meet their working capital requirements through cash credit limits at all?

A possible solution lies in evolving the following proposals:

1. Restricting cash credit facilities only for small and medium enterprises with borrowings less than Rs 500 crore. Here also we need to graduate these borrowings from asset based to cash flow based lines of credits with each drawdown repayable at the end of the term.

2. For all corporates with aggregate working capital requirements above `500 crore, they should be required to meet their needs from the money markets only . If they need a core working capital requirement to be funded, initially , in the process of transition, this should be by way of a term loan.

3. For even these term fund requirements, this should be by way of a shared national credit, as more prevalent in advanced economies, led by a leading bank, with separate security trustees responsible for the creation, perfection, novation and enforcement of underlying security.This would help the regulators in a single point examination of the credit instead of separate asset quality reviews of the same credit exposure with multiple banks.This would also facilitate smaller banks to participate in such credit depending upon their appetite, risk and pricing, knowing that they could exit in adverse circumstances at transparently discovered pricing.

4. As any delinquency or default in the servicing of such market liabilities would impact their ratings, it would help in aligning the pricing returns with the attendant risks, without any undue lag as evidenced in the cash credit system under which such realignment is usually done only on renewal. The early warning signals would be captured more discernibly and far quicker than in the present system of cash credit. More often than not, presently, in the case of a steep derating of the borrower, post their quarterly or annual results, instead of the pricing being revised upwards, on grounds of supporting their viability, concessional pricing continues to be demanded and offered as bankers do not have any option to exit at this point.

5. Multiple banking requires banks to share information frequently and transparently , which is followed more in the breach than in compliance. This is a weakness tried to be corrected through the CRILC by the RBI. However, this is also post the event and any default is evident only after a lag. Going forward, under the proposed system, the money markets would factor in the aggregate outstanding debt along with the repayment history on an ongoing basis, imparting greater discipline, and more efficient use of capital.

By Sunil Srivastava

The author is DMD of SBI's Corporate Accounts Group

Metal-Linked News Headlines

US hot-rolled coil prices hit $900/st

Chinese ferronickel price goes up again

Chinese HC ferrochrome prices increase

Russian manganese lump prices increase

Russia supplies half of US pig iron imports

Overcapacity to threaten nickel, says Coface

Chinese longs producers lift mid-June offers

Asian HRC prices remain flat amid thin trading

Chinese 304 grade stainless CRC prices go down

European hopes for US tariff exemptions fading

Gerdau raises rebar prices $20 in Texas and Florida

Turkish export rebar prices rise amid bullish outlook

Turkish mills' scrap imports from US, CIS rise sharply

Turkey's Kardemir to start railway wheels production

Iran boosts iron ore concentrate output 30% on year

Xuzhou accelerates polluting steel companies' removal

Weekly coal wrap: Prices strengthen on fears of tight July

Compiled by : Metal-Linked

www.metallinked.com

Ukraine's Jan exports of ferroalloys up 13.8% on year

Ukraine's exports of ferroalloys rose 13.8% year-on-year to 77,870 mt in January from 68,450 mt a year earlier, the state statistics service reported Tuesday.

At the same time, revenues from exports of ferroalloys rose 12.5% to $88.9 million from $79 million in January 2017, the statistics service said.

In January, Ukraine exported 13,360 of ferroalloys to Turkey, 11,300 mt to the Netherlands, 8,350 mt to Italy, 3,670 mt to the Great Britain, 3,290 mt to Romania, 3,060 mt to Finland and 2,950 mt to Slovakia.

Ukraine exported 59,250 mt of silicomanganese in January, up from 49,410 mt in January 2017. Exports of ferrosilicon fell to 4,510 mt from 4,640 mt, but exports of ferromanganese, including metallic manganese, increased to 8,930 mt from 8,850 mt.

Exports of ferronickel fell to 4,370 mt in January from 5,360 mt, but exports of ferrotitanium rose to 400 mt from 180 mt in January 2017.

In 2017 Ukraine exported 936,700 mt of ferroalloys, up 7.7% from 869,690 mt 2016.

US proposes anti-dumping duties on Chinese aluminum foil

The U.S. Commerce Department on Tuesday recommended raising import duties on Chinese-made aluminum foil it said is being sold at unfairly low prices due to improper subsidies to producers.

 

Beijing faces complaints from the United States, European Union and other trading partners that a flood of Chinese aluminum, steel and other exports are being sold at unfairly low prices.

 

The Commerce Department said it concluded Chinese exporters were selling aluminum foil at 49 to 106 percent below fair value and were receiving unfair subsidies of 17 to 81 percent of the goods' value.

 

"China will take necessary measures to defend its interests in response to the wrong practice of the United States," said a Commerce Ministry official, Wang Hejun, in a statement.

 

The American Chamber of Commerce in China says Chinese officials have warned of possible unspecified retaliation if Washington took excessive steps in trade disputes.

EU imposes anti-dumping duties on iron castings from China

The European Commission has set definitive anti-dumping duties on iron castings imported from China, in a latest trade measure against the country.

The duties range from 15.5 percent to 38.1 percent on the imports, which are a family of products that include for instance manhole covers and grates used in street drainage, according to the European Union's official journal on Tuesday.

An investigation was initiated in December 2016 following a complaint from seven EU producers concerning products from China and India. The investigation found there to be no dumping in the case of India.

The EU applied anti-dumping measures for the same product imported from China already in the past between 2005 and 2011.

The definitive duties are lower than the provisional duties, set in August 2017, of between 25.3 and 42.8 percent.

The Commission has 53 measures now in place on steel and iron products, including 27 on products coming from China.

A spokesperson with China's Ministry of Commerce said last week that the country is against abuse of trade measures such as anti-dumping duties.

The Supreme Court is looking at legalizing sports betting in India

The Supreme Court of India is considering whether sports betting and gambling could be allowed legally in India. Currently, online betting and gambling is outlawed and can attract a fine and imprisonment for individuals running a gambling house.

However, the state of Sikkim has issued online gambling licences in 2010 but only but over an intranet, blocking access from the rest of India. The state government of Sikkim has authorized four gaming and lottery licenses – to Sugal & Damani Group, Future Gaming Group and Essel Group’s Playwin and  Golden Gaming. Note that only three states allow casinos in India – Goa, Daman and Sikkim.

The SC said that it will take up the public interest litigation as part of reforms in Cricket and petitioners argued that the legalized betting and gambling in sports would curb match-fixing and generate revenue for the government. Currently, there are a number of websites offer bets on Cricket matches.

The BBC points out that there even though there are no online betting operators based out of India, a lot people have registered accounts with offshore firms and operators are using this to set up offshore betting companies.

How big is betting in India: The Federation of Indian Chambers and Commerce and Industry (FICCI) estimates the total turnover of the betting market at Rs 300,000 crores ($60bn). If the government caps the 20% of the profits generated by gambling, the government stands to gain Rs 12,000- Rs 19,000 crore.

US aluminum industry files dumping action against Chinese foil

The antidumping margins alleged by the domestic industry range from 38% to more than 134% of the value of the imported aluminum foil. The domestic industry's countervailing duty petition alleges that Chinese producers benefit from 27 separate government subsidy programs.

The petitions were filed concurrently with the US Department of Commerce and the US International Trade Commission and apply to aluminum foil that is used in a variety of consumer and industrial applications. These include household foil, flexible and semi-rigid cookware, product packaging, automotive and HVAC heat exchangers, among other common uses.

"This action is part of the industry's broad trade strategy to address Chinese overcapacity throughout the value chain," the association said in a statement. According to Heidi Brock, president and CEO of the Aluminum Association, this action -- the first time the Aluminum Association has filed unfair trade cases on behalf of its members in its nearly 85-year history -- "reflects both the intensive injury being suffered by US aluminum foil producers and also our commitment to ensuring that trade laws are enforced to create a level playing field for domestic producers."

Iran to abolish controls on iron ore

Iran is set to lift government controls on iron ore pricing in the domestic market, Tasnim News Agency reported Wednesday, citing the minister of economic affairs and finance, Ali Tayebnia.

Tayebnia was quoted as saying there was a large gap between domestic iron ore prices and international levels, which the government would address by amending the mechanism that determines prices for domestically produced ore.

Tayebnia also said pricing on the Iran Mercantile Exchange (IME) was based on supply and demand and was, therefore, an appropriate way to discover a practical, as well a clear, price for iron ore.

The IME said in January it would launch iron ore trading for the domestic market from February, though no trades of domestic ore have been reported.

Anti-dumping duty on some steel products from China

India has extended anti-dumping duty on some steel products from China by five years, in a bid to retain protectionist barriers and stem the tide of cheap foreign products.

The long-term measure, on the import of seamless tubes, pipes and hollow profiles of iron, alloy or non-alloy steel, stands effective as of May 17 last year when the government had imposed a provisional anti-dumping duty, according to the circular.

Indian steelmakers such as JSW Steel, Tata Steel, and Steel Authority of India have lobbied for more measures to protect them from cheaper imports from China, Japan and South Korea.

US Finalizes Duties On More Chinese Steel Imports

On February 2, the US Department of Commerce announced its final decision to impose antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) margins on imports of stainless steel sheet and strip from China.

Commerce confirmed final AD margins ranging from 63.86 percent to 76.64 percent on imports of the product from Chinese producers/exporters. It also determined final CVDs of between 75.60 percent and 190.71 percent on the same imports from China.

The US International Trade Commission (ITC) is scheduled to make its final determination by March 20 this year. If the ITC makes an affirmative final determination that imports of stainless steel sheet and strip from China materially injure, or threaten material injury to, the domestic industry, Commerce will then issue AD and CVD orders.

The United States imported about USD302m of the products from China in 2015. US producers contend that imports of stainless steel sheet and strip from China increased by 133 percent between 2013 and that year.

Commerce's latest decision builds on the large number of trade disputes currently involving the US steel sector and imports from China. Other investigations include imports of cold-rolled and hot-rolled steel flat products, non-oriented electrical steel, and corrosion-resistant steel products. In addition, Commerce has begun, since the second half of last year, to impose very substantial CVD and AD margins on Chinese exporters that are far higher than those on other countries' exporters.

Shared by : V Dalmia

source : tax-news

Iran to impose new duty on steel imports from September

The Iranian parliament has imposed a new duty on steel imports, likely to be effective from September this year, according to the ICANA news agency, which is affiliated to the parliament.

The duty is Iranian Rial 100,000/mt (about $25/mt) of imported material and will be imposed on all steel products during Iran's sixth development plan, running from 2017 to 2023. The duty will cover billet, beam, different strips, tubes, pipes, stainless steel and scrap.

The duty will be imposed in addition to all import taxes already in place and the funds raised from it will be used for the development of the country's national railway system.

The new duty will almost certainly cause an increase in production costs for downstream industries, said Amirhosein Kaveh, secretary of the Iranian Syndicate of Steel Pipe and Profile Manufacturers. There is already considerable pressure on the Iranian pipe industry at the moment and a part of capacity is idle as a result of a slump in demand and production costs.

The Iranian government is following a highly protective policy for the upstream steel industry and this has increased production costs for downstream users, Kaveh said. The new duty would mark the third increase in import costs since January 2016. He also said that the syndicate has asked the government to cancel this new duty.

At the moment import duties are at 15% for semi-finished products; 20- 26% for flat products (excluding stainless steel) and 26% for most long products, including I-beams and H-beams.

The import duty on scrap is 4%; the "lowest possible" according to Iranian customs.

Source : Platts

China's province Hebei to cut 31.86 mln tonnes of steel and iron capacity in 2017

China's biggest steelmaking province Hebei plans to slash 31.86 million tonnes of steel and ironmaking capacity for this year, the official Xinhua news agency quoted a provincial official as saying on Sunday.

Hebei, a province in the north of the country near the capital Beijing, accounts for nearly a quarter of China's total steel output and has pledged to cut steel capacity by 31.17 million tonnes by 2017 and by 49.13 million tonnes by 2020.

Xinhua reported Hebei provincial governor Zhang Qingwei as saying in a government work paper that Hebei is aiming to eliminate 15.62 million tonnes of steel capacity, 16.24 million tonnes of ironmaking capacity by the end of this year.

Hebei had cut 14.62 million tonnes of steel capacity by the end of October, achieving 2016's target of 14.22 million tonnes ahead of schedule.

Zhang also said four "zombie firms" in Heibei would be shut down this year. He did not specify which firms.

"(The) process of reducing all ironmaking and steel production capacity in cities of Langfang, Baoding and Zhangjiakou will be accelerated this year," Zhang was quoted as saying.

In addition, there are plans to cut 7.42 million tonnes of coal capacity, 1.1 million tonnes of cement capacity and an additional 5 million weight cases of flat glass in 2017.

Tangshan, China's biggest steel producing city, which is in Hebei province, aims to close 8.6 million tonnes of steel capacity in 2017, the local government said on Thursday, part of its efforts to "upgrade" its highly-polluting heavy industrial economy. 

Shared by : V Dalmia

Source : Reuters

News Update

News Update :
-China's CRC export prices on the rise
-Sheet prices in Tokyo start increasing
-Gerdau sells Colombian unit Yumbo to Sidoc
-ArcelorMittal USA raises sheet prices again
-Vale's October iron ore shipments up 2.3% y-o-y
-ThyssenKrupp delivery problems tighten EU coil market
-Turkey's stainless coil imports from S.Korea, China rise
-Turkey's Kardemir sharply raises sections and angles prices
-Khouzestan Oxin Steel becomes first API plate producer in Iran
-European silicomanganese market shows yet another pick up in price
-China's Import of Manganese Ore in October 2016 Is 1.253 Mil. Tons
-AD investigation against angle imports from Ukraine continues in Russia

Indian Government imposes 5-year antidumping duties on coke imports from China, Australia

India has imposed antidumping duties on coke imports from China and Australia, which will be effective over the next five years, according to a statement released late Friday by the country's Ministry of Finance.

Duties of $25.20/mt and $16.29/mt will be levied on imports from China and Australia, respectively, starting November 25.

The antidumping application had been filed in December by the Indian Metallurgical Coke Manufacturers Association, whose members include coke makers Saurashtra Fuels Pvt. Ltd., Gujarat NRE Coke Ltd., Carbon Edge Industries Ltd., Bhatia Coke and Energy Ltd. and Basudha Udyog Pvt. Ltd, which together account for more than half of India's merchant coke output.

But market participants stated that the duty of $25.20/mt imposed on Chinese coke imports was only a small fraction of the current price and might not boost the competitiveness of Indian alternatives.

S&P Global Platts assessed metallurgical coke 64/62% CSR at $343/mt FOB North China, and $354/mt CFR India last Friday.

Indian steelmakers were already mulling output cuts as most were exposed to soaring Australian coking coal prices in the last two quarters, sources said.

Next on the agenda for coke and steel producers will be petitioning for the scrapping of the 2.5% import duty on coking coal, an Indian coke maker said.

"It will face no opposition from anyone in the industry and should be passed quickly," the source said.

Source : Platts

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EU member states must act forcibly against dumping – says EUROFER

The European Steel Association (EUROFER) has called upon member states to achieve a breakthrough on the modernisation of the European Union’s Trade Defence Instruments (TDIs). 

EUROFER’s call for action comes ahead of meeting of trade ministers of the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council. At the meeting big issues, such as TDI modernisation, Market Economy Status for China, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) are up for discussion.

Axel Eggert, director-general of EUROFER, said that EU trade policy is facing a range of challenges, not least of which are unfair trade and public reservations over TTIP and CETA. “However, we must not be naïve free traders: member states must act forcefully to shore up our defences against dumping from third countries and demonstrate the strength of their convictions that closer trade relations with market economy-driven countries – such as the USA and Canada – will contribute significantly to the prosperity of the European Union and its citizens,” he said.

Eggert said that ther was now a real opportunity to make progress on lifting the Lesser Duty Rule (LDR) and speed up the process of anti-dumping and anti-subsidy cases.

“Improved EU trade defence measures will send the right signal: that our partners must abide by the rules of free and fair international trade,” Eggert said,

They will also explore how to handle China’s demand to be granted MES. No decisions are expected but early indications suggest that the Slovak Presidency is working to build a framework to help advance these dossiers.

As for market economy status for China, Eggert said that China must fulfill the requirements to be considered a market economy before it can reasonably make such a cliam. “To date, China only fulfills one out of the five well-established EU criteria,” he said, adding that it does not have an economy in which the market determines prices – one of the most basic elements in determining eligibility for MES status.

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