Replies to post #4186 on The Rising Influence of Rising Affluence

[DewDiligence]

More on the same story from the WSJ:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204652904577194300985705264.html

Fortunately for VALE, it can still use the megaships to transport iron ore from Brazil to ports in Southeast Asia, although this is obviously not as cost-effective as shipping directly to China.

[DewDiligence]

VALE said on its 4Q11 CC yesterday that it will take time to work this out with China, but a solution is inevitable because China absolutely needs VALE’s high-quality iron ore.

In the meantime, the Valemax ships are not idle; rather, they are being used to deliver ore to VALE’s regional distribution centers in the Middle East and Malaysia. There, the ore is transferred to smaller vessels for delivery to lower-capacity ports throughout the Asia/Pacific region.