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Wed 25 Nov 2009, 00:24 GMT

East Asia 380-cst price comparison


Price trends in the East Asian ports of Hong Kong, Kaohsiung and Shanghai are analysed.

Please find below a table of average monthly 380-centistoke (cst) prices in three leading East Asian ports: Hong Kong, Shanghai and Kaohsiung between April 2008 and November 2009.

The table clearly shows that the greatest variation in price during this period was in November 2008 when the average price of 380-cst fell by 40.7 percent, 40.6 percent and 41.6 percent in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Kaohsiung respectively. This was followed by October 2008 when average 380-cst prices plummeted 29.5 percent in Hong Kong, 22.8 percent in Shanghai and 28.0 percent in Kaohsiung.

The first table also shows that flucuations in price have not been as pronounced in recent months compared with those seen in April, May and June 2009, July 2008 and the aforementioned months of October and November 2008.

The second and third tables below look at the difference in the price between the respective ports on a monthly basis. The data shows that since the start of the year, the difference in price between Hong Kong and Shanghai has almost entirely been maintained at below $30, whilst in 2008 the price variation was significantly higher.

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong versus Kaohsiung data shows that the most significant variation in price between the two ports was seen only recently in August 2009 and September 2009 when 380-cst in Hong Kong was on average $61 per tonne (August) and $50 per tonne (September) lower than in Kaohsiung.


Month Hong Kong +/- (%) Shanghai +/- (%) Kaohsiung +/- (%)
Nov-09 472 5.1 490 4.0 497 5.1
Oct 09 449 3.7 471 3.1 473 -2.1
Sep 09 433 -2.7 457 -0.2 483 -4.5
Aug 09 445 8.0 458 3.4 506 16.3
Jul 09 412 1.5 443 4.5 435 1.6
Jun 09 406 16.0 424 14.9 428 16.3
May 09 350 16.7 369 16.8 368 13.2
Apr 09 300 17.6 316 12.5 325 11.3
Mar 09 255 -4.5 281 -2.4 292 1.7
Feb 09 267 -0.4 288 0.0 287 2.1
Jan 09 268 16.0 288 7.5 281 11.1
Dec 08 231 -8.3 268 -12.4 253 -6.3
Nov 08 252 -40.7 306 -40.6 270 -41.6
Oct 08 425 -29.5 515 -22.8 462 -28.0
Sep 08 603 -11.1 667 -6.8 642 -8.5
Aug 08 678 -7.5 716 -6.5 702 -6.4
Jul 08 733 15.3 766 17.5 750 14.5
Jun 08 636 8.3 652 7.9 655 9.0
May 08 587 8.7 604 3.2 601 8.7
Apr 08 540 585 553


Month Hong Kong Vs Shanghai Vs Kaohsiung
Nov-09 472 -18 -25
Oct 09 449 -22 -24
Sep 09 433 -24 -50
Aug 09 445 -13 -61
Jul 09 412 -31 -23
Jun 09 406 -18 -22
May 09 350 -19 -18
Apr 09 300 -16 -25
Mar 09 255 -26 -37
Feb 09 267 -21 -20
Jan 09 268 -20 -13
Dec 08 231 -37 -22
Nov 08 252 -54 -18
Oct 08 425 -90 -37
Sep 08 603 -64 -39
Aug 08 678 -38 -24
Jul 08 733 -33 -17
Jun 08 636 -16 -19
May 08 587 -17 -14
Apr 08 540 -45 -13


Month Shanghai Vs Kaohsiung Kaohsiung
Nov-09 490 -7 497
Oct 09 471 -2 473
Sep 09 457 -26 483
Aug 09 458 -48 506
Jul 09 443 8 435
Jun 09 424 -4 428
May 09 369 1 368
Apr 09 316 -9 325
Mar 09 281 -11 292
Feb 09 288 1 287
Jan 09 288 7 281
Dec 08 268 15 253
Nov 08 306 36 270
Oct 08 515 53 462
Sep 08 667 25 642
Aug 08 716 14 702
Jul 08 766 16 750
Jun 08 652 -3 655
May 08 604 3 601
Apr 08 585 32 553

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