VZCZCXRO2309
RR RUEHDT RUEHPB
DE RUEHPT #0024/01 0980903
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 080903Z APR 09
FM AMCONSUL PERTH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE SECSTATE WASHDC
INFO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0403
RUEHDN/AMCONSUL SYDNEY 0297
RUEHBN/AMCONSUL MELBOURNE 0293
RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH 0427
RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 0006
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 0004
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0004
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PERTH 000024 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/ANP, EAP/CM, AND EEP 
USDOC FOR 3132/USFCS/OIO/EAP/JRULAND AND 4530/MAC/EAP/OPB/GPAINE 
STATE PASS DOE FOR JEFF SKEER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  4/8/2019 
TAGS: EMIN EINV ECON PREL CH AS
SUBJECT: WA PINS IRON ORE HOPES ON CHINA 
 
REF: (A) CANBERRA 327, (B) MELBOURNE 42, (C) CANBERRA 295, (D) CANBERRA 330, (E) PERTH 19 
 
PERTH 00000024  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Kenneth Chern, Consul General, EXEC, State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  Iron ore miners in Western Australia (WA) are 
expecting to take a big hit on prices in this year's annual 
contract negotiations, but they remain optimistic about economic 
recovery in the state's key export market, China.  Miners' 
representatives told the Consul General they expect the price of 
iron ore to drop up to 40 percent this year, notably less 
sharply than some market forecasts of 60 percent, as a result of 
slowing demand from the Chinese steel mills and an oversupply of 
iron ore.  WA's iron ore producers - who account for almost all 
iron ore exported from Australia, half of which goes to China 
alone - concede they have a large stake in China's economic 
recovery.  Spotlighting Chinese investments amidst the 
controversy over Canberra's China policy (refs A, B), Prime 
Minister Kevin Rudd reaffirmed the importance of the China 
market to the Australian economy, noting in a media interview 
from London March 30 that "Australia depends on China for jobs . 
. . . I'm on the hunt for jobs."  End Summary. 
 
IRON ORE PLAYERS FORECAST STEEP PRICE FALL . . . 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
---------------- 
 
¶2. (C)  Iron ore and other mining representatives told the 
Consul General in a series of private meetings that they expect 
iron ore prices to drop from 30 - 40 percent in the annual price 
negotiations for 2009.  Stakeholders are awaiting the outcome of 
annual contract negotiations between global producers BHP 
Billiton, Rio Tinto, and Vale, on the one hand, and Chinese 
steel mills, on the other.  Sandra Liu, China Marketing Manager 
for Fortescue Metals Group (FMG), Australia's third-largest iron 
ore producer, predicted "at least" a 30 percent cut this year, 
while "Jack" Cui Xiaofei, WA Manager for China's state-owned 
Sinosteel, forecast a 40 percent drop.  Notably, major brokerage 
firms Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs JBWere, Deutsche Bank, and 
Macquarie all lowered their forecasts March 31 to a similar 30 - 
40 percent decrease, according to media reports.  Although all 
of these predictions point to a much steeper drop than WA 
sources had expected as recently as mid-February, the 
predictions are for prices above market expectations of a 
possible 50 - 60 percent decrease (ref C). 
 
¶3. (C)  Sinosteel's Cui predicted that the cuts would be even 
sharper if Chinese negotiators improved their skills.  Even the 
largest Chinese companies were "like little brothers" compared 
to global players like Brazil's Vale or Anglo-Australians BHP 
Billiton and Rio Tinto, he contended.  Both Cui and Liu 
intimated that the mandate for the big four Chinese state-owned 
steel companies to increase their size and international 
exposure, and for the smaller steel mills to merge into larger 
entities, is likely to alter the nature of iron ore price 
negotiations. 
 
¶4. (U) Representatives of Australia's two largest iron ore 
producers, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, have not commented 
publicly on the details of likely iron ore prices, but Rio Tinto 
Iron Ore CEO Sam Walsh confirmed to an iron and steel 
forecasting audience March 24 in Perth that the company expects 
softening demand for iron ore to translate into lower contract 
prices in 2009.  Unconfirmed media reports April 1 stated that 
both Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton have agreed to a temporary 40 
percent iron ore price cut until the formal benchmark, or 
contract, deal is finalized. 
 
¶5. (C) Rio Tinto's Walsh also told the iron and steel conference 
that the contract negotiations will remain an important part of 
the iron ore pricing system, downplaying Rio Tinto's attempt 
over the past several boom years to replace the contract system 
with one linked to spot-market prices.  Mining contacts told the 
CG that Rio Tinto's perceived heavy-handed negotiating tactics 
during the boom period have left long-standing sensitivities 
among Chinese iron ore stakeholders.  One close Consulate 
contact said Chinese officials continue to express resentment 
about Japanese buyers getting better access to the global iron 
ore producers, and actively demand equal exposure to what the 
Japanese enjoy in the WA political and economic arenas. 
 
PERTH 00000024  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
. . . BUT BELIEVE CHINA OUTLOOK GOOD 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Despite the uncertain economic news about their main 
customer, China, WA mining stakeholders remain relatively 
optimistic that China will weather the global slowdown and 
maintain economic growth this year.  Western Australia exported 
a total of 303 million tons of iron ore in 2008, valued at 
A$31.3 billion (U.S.$21 billion), and over half went to China. 
FMG's Liu told us that her company believes that there are 
already signs the Chinese iron ore market is picking up.  She 
noted that iron ore stockpiles at Chinese ports are, in FMG's 
estimation, lower now (80 million tons) than at this time last 
year (100 million tons) -- not higher than last year, as is 
reported in the media. 
 
¶7. (C) Liu conceded that FMG's exposure to China's economic 
fortunes is great because "100 percent of FMG's customers" are 
Chinese.  Liu observed, however, that the business style of 
entrepreneurial founder and main shareholder Andrew "Twiggy" 
Forrest was not "always bottom-dollar oriented".  She compared 
him to "a captain of a ship" who is passionate about selling 
"Australian and Western Australian" iron ore to China. 
Forrest's passion came one step closer to realization March 31 
when the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board approved the 
application of Chinese company Hunan Valin Iron and Steel to 
take a 17.5 percent stake in the cash-troubled company (refs D, 
E). 
 
¶8. (C) Sinosteel's Cui was also cautiously upbeat about the iron 
ore sector.  He said that while cash is tight (Sinosteel paid 
A$1.3 billion, or U.S.$910 million, last year in a high-priced 
and ultimately ill-timed hostile takeover of Midwest 
Corporation), Sinosteel's Australian operations are still 
"O.K.," and the firm is seeking new investment opportunities. 
He acknowledged that the parent company Sinosteel is "having 
some problems" because it is contractually obligated to continue 
to take ore despite slowing demand. 
 
¶9. (C) Most mining and business groups believe it is not a 
question of if, but when, the Chinese economy rebounds and, with 
it, demand for WA and Australian minerals.  Chamber of Minerals 
and Energy (CME) policy spokesperson Paul Frewer told us that 
CME believes the fundamentals for future Chinese growth are 
still there and that, in the meantime, CME sees a good sign in 
BHP Billiton's continued major expansion plans for Rapid Growth 
Projects Four and Five in its Pilbara mining operations.  Both 
FMG's Liu and a senior Chamber of Commerce and Industry 
representative commented that the focus on domestic 
infrastructure projects in China will help revive demand for 
steel and its major input, iron ore.  Contacts all believe that 
the authorities in China have the ability to "make things 
happen." 
 
WISHFUL THINKING FOR WA IRON ORE? 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶10. (C) Comment:  It is not surprising that WA iron ore 
producers, who have been among the main beneficiaries of the 
five-year mining boom that witnessed rapidly growing trade and 
economic ties between Western Australia and China, are talking 
up China's prospects.  While Japan remains an important trading 
partner, China is the state's largest trading partner, has 
long-term growth potential, and maintains reserves of cash for 
investments.  Even though businesses acknowledge that the worst 
of the global downturn has yet to hit WA (because of the large 
investments still going through the pipeline), there appears to 
be a determination among experienced mining hands to see the 
glass as half full rather than half empty.  They may be 
underestimating the strength and depth of the current bust, but 
the way they see it, they have survived the boom and bust cycle 
in WA before, and will do so again.  End Comment. 
CHERN