China Assures 2.9 million tonnes of Coke Export for Japan in 2004
Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China officially informed Japanese embassy in Beijing on Monday that it would secure same volume of coke export license for Japan in 2004 as in 2003, when China issued 2.9 million tonnes of export license for Japan. China said it would secure coke export license for member countries of World Trade Organization including European Union and Japan.
China already agreed with EU to secure 4.5 million tonnes of coke export license in 2004.

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is checking Chinese actual issuance of export license and impact on international market. METI continue to seek China to ensure smooth implementation of the license to avoid any interruption of raw materials supply for Japanese steel makers.

Japanese steels could secure sufficient volume of coke from China under tight supply and surging price for raw materials, if China would issue license and export coke actually along with the remark. Japanese interests focus on export price along with license issuance.

The Japanese Government sought China to improve restriction of coke export license along with tight supply of steel materials and overheated capital expenditure again and again in various channels including ministerial talks.

China issued 2.33 million tonnes of coke export license in January and another 5.4 million tonnes in 2004. The country issued 2.3 million tonnes of license in 2002 and 2.9 million tonnes in 2003 for Japan while it issued 4.81 million tonnes in 2002 and 5.03 million tonnes in 2003 for EU.