Tag Archives: China

All the ‘Coffee’ in China: Starbucks Moving East

China, Companies, , ,

Starbucks, the giant coffee purveyor, is planning on adding an additional 12,000 stores to their existing 25,000 within the next five years. Luckily for people who like to see other stores besides those that sell coffee, not all of the additional 12,000 are going to be in Manhattan. As a matter of fact, only half are going to be built in either the US or China.

But if you really do like coffee and were even slightly worried that you might need to walk more than 30 seconds from wherever you may be to get your mandatory Caramel Brulée Latte, you can rest at ease now. As CEO Howard Schultz puts it:

“These are the early days of the growth and development of the company. If Starbucks was a 20-chapter book, I still think we’re in chapter 4 or 5.”

“Demand is there, and our ability to deploy capital and get the return on invested capital is very strong,” Starbucks President and COO Kevin Johnson said.

The fabulously successful company discussed their business plans at an investor day even in New York City last week. Schultz reassured his shareholders that:

“Our core business has never been stronger in the U.S. and around the world.”

Starbucks has its eye on the enormous potential market in China.

“Not only will China one day be bigger than the U.S., but our business in China will demonstrate that we will be one of the…most significant winners in terms of a Western consumer brand,” he said.

China Investing Heavily in US Real Estate

Economy, Real Estate, ,

A recent study outlines the extent to which Chinese investors have been flooding money into the United States real estate market. According to the study a recent surge of Chinese buying of residential and commercial property as brought the five-year total investment to over $110 billion.

Conducted by the Asia Society and Rosen Consulting Group, the study shows that the huge size of the total investment helped the US real estate market recover from the real estate crash that began in 2006. The Chinese investment in real estate has also influenced other countries, inflating prices in developed markets such as Australia and the UK.

The study predicts that, despite the tightening restrictions of capital outflows by Beijing, the amount of investment will double to $218 billion.

“What makes China different and noteworthy is the combination of the high volume of investment (and) the breadth of its participation across all real estate categories,” including a “somewhat unique entry into residential purchases,” the study said.

IMF Warns of Global Economic Slowdown

Economy, Emerging Markets, , ,

The International Monetary Fund is warning that the risk of a global financial crash is on the rise due to China’s economic slowdown and a concomitant decline in world trade. This double-headed decline has the effect of de-stabilizing emerging economies which are burdened with large debt.

The IMF, the Washington-based lender of last resort, explained that because of the large scale borrowing by emerging market countries with debts which are highly susceptible to increased interest rates, policymakers need to act fast to strengthen the financial system.

The cautionary statements come after a difficult summer of global market chaos caused by China’s currency devaluation, instituted to increase its export flow. That action set off a panic reaction in world-wide markets, which crashed. Investors suddenly understood the real meaning of China’s economic slowdown.

Earlier in the week the IMF lowered its prediction for global growth in 2015 down to 3.1 percent. That number is the smallest since the low point of the 2009 downturn.

Westerlies Blowing Ozone from China to US

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zone molecular electrical potential surface 3D-vdW.

Despite efforts to reduce the levels of ozone in the US, overall reduction has been stymied by the arrival of pollution across the Pacific Ocean from China.

A new study conducted by six researchers at US and Dutch universities shows that ozone concentrations in the air over China has gone up 7 percent between 2005 and 2010, and that this increased level of  ozone  is traveling through the air all the way from China to the western United States, off-setting the significant reduction in production in ozone levels there.

The US has put into place public policy to reduce emissions which are pre-cursers to the formation of ozone, such as nitrogen oxides. On the West Coast of the US that reduction in production amounted to about 20 percent. Yet the overall air quality, especially in ozone concentrations, did not improve.

Lead researcher from the Wageningen University in the Netherlands, Willem Verstraeten, said that the worsening air pollution in Asia could be the reason the US is not seeing the kind of ozone reduction it should.

Verstraeten theorized that the “dominant westerly winds blew this air pollution straight across to the United States.  As a manner of speaking, China is exporting its air pollution to the West Coast of America.”

Oil Prices Rise on Increased Demand

Energy News, , , , ,

The price of crude oil futures climbed a bit on Monday as demand from Asia and the US edged up as well.

Brent crude surged by 2 cents a barrel to $65.39 at 03:12 GMT. US crude showed a steeper climb, leaving it a bit below Brent crude, at $59.86 per barrel.

Energy Aspects, a London-based publication which discusses  the energy markets, commented on the increased price of oil:

“Global oil demand continues to surprise to the upside, with April data showing no signs of slowdown despite a pick-up in prices.”

Japan’s Ministry of Finance said that crude oil imports to Japan increased by 9.1 percent to 3.62 million barrels per day in April, compared to one year earlier. China hit a new record of crude imports, reaching 7.4 million barrels per day in April. That surge is despite China’s slowing economy which is offset by vigorous car sales.

“We expect Chinese imports to be high in H2 15, potentially averaging 7.5 million barrels per day. This is due to the start-up of 39 mb (million barrels) of commercial storage, five SPR (strategic petroleum reserve) sites and linefill for Kunming refinery—buying for which is ongoing we believe, even though the refinery won’t start up till early 2016,” Energy Aspects said.

On the other side of the globe the United States is now entering its peak season for driving with the Memorial Day weekend just coming to an end. According to the American Automobile Association, road travel in the US is expected to reach a ten-year high over the weekend, tightly correlated with higher oil use.